Highly experienced rental executive, Stuart Russell, has joined Thrifty Car & Van Rental as director of its FlexiFleet product.

Russell has a significant 30 year history in rental, most recently with Europcar and previously with firms such as Northgate Vehicle Solutions and the Arval BNP Paribas Group’s rental and mini lease division.

He is tasked with growing the brand’s long-term rental offering called FlexiFleet, which the company says has seen significant year-on-year growth since its inception in 2017.

“The diversity of Thrifty’s fleet and geographical coverage perfectly positions FlexiFleet to lead the long-term rental and car subscription market,” commented Russell. “I’m delighted to be leading Thrifty’s FlexiFleet offering at a time of such great potential, and I hope to maximise every opportunity to achieve success.”

Subscription-style mobility solutions, offering flexible rental terms with as little as one month’s commitment, are becoming increasingly popular as individuals and businesses react to the changed and changing environment following the novel coronavirus pandemic.

New players, such as SOGO Mobility, offer an all-inclusive package to businesses bar the insurance with no deposit. Meanwhile Onto, another new entrant, has just raised $175m in funding to help it develop its electric vehicle all-inclusive subscription-based mobility service in the UK.

It’s a trend that Thrifty Car & Van Rental UK managing director, Martin Wilson, recognises: “We are seeing a seismic shift in how individuals and businesses source their vehicles. We believe our FlexiFleet offering is well-placed to capitalize as demands in the industry change.”

Thrifty Car & Van Rental UK is operated in the UK by the Scot Group Ltd, a private company based in Exeter, with 98 locations around the UK.