Paul Hayes brings over two decades of leadership experience in the global car rental, travel, and mobility industries. His career began at Holiday Autos, where he progressed from operational roles to international business development, playing a key part in expanding the company’s footprint across multiple markets, including the establishment of a call centre in Montevideo, Uruguay.
Following this, Paul joined Expedia Group, where he managed strategic accounts and later led a London-based team overseeing partnerships across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific. During his time at Expedia, he was instrumental in scaling the business with triple-digit growth, driving innovation, and developing strategic relationships with key mobility partners worldwide.
In 2021, Paul founded phaYes Consulting, a specialist consultancy supporting car rental suppliers, brokers, and mobility providers. His work focuses on growth strategy, commercial partnerships, and adapting traditional business models to meet the evolving demands of digital transformation. He is currently consulting with BSP-Auto, a leading trade focused car rental broker, growing their presence within the UK travel agency space.
Paul is particularly interested in how advancements such as keyless rental solutions, automation, frictionless booking experiences, and emerging mobility platforms are reshaping the industry. His insights combine hands-on operational expertise with a strategic view of the future of mobility, making him a trusted advisor for businesses navigating change in a competitive global market.Paul Hayes brings over two decades of leadership experience in the global car rental, travel, and mobility industries. His career began at Holiday Autos, where he progressed from operational roles to international business development, playing a key part in expanding the company’s footprint across multiple markets, including the establishment of a call centre in Montevideo, Uruguay.
Following this, Paul joined Expedia Group, where he managed strategic accounts and later led a London-based team overseeing partnerships across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific. During his time at Expedia, he was instrumental in scaling the business with triple-digit growth, driving innovation, and developing strategic relationships with key mobility partners worldwide.
In 2021, Paul founded phaYes Consulting, a specialist consultancy supporting car rental suppliers, brokers, and mobility providers. His work focuses on growth strategy, commercial partnerships, and adapting traditional business models to meet the evolving demands of digital transformation. He is currently consulting with BSP-Auto, a leading trade focused car rental broker, growing their presence within the UK travel agency space.
Paul is particularly interested in how advancements such as keyless rental solutions, automation, frictionless booking experiences, and emerging mobility platforms are reshaping the industry. His insights combine hands-on operational expertise with a strategic view of the future of mobility, making him a trusted advisor for businesses navigating change in a competitive global market.

Kenneth Pohl is the Co-Founder and CEO of Movitronic, a European technology company specialising in digital key and telematics solutions for car rental operators. Movitronic’s white-label rental app is built specifically for rental companies — covering every activity from digital vehicle upgrades and extra sales to automated handovers, eliminating the need for staff.

Having processed thousands of digital bookings, Kenneth and his team have gained deep insight into what truly drives rental profitability — combining automation, connectivity, and customer experience to help operators scale efficiently and stay open 24/7.

Nick DiPrima is a Senior Associate at The Merlin Group, where he leads demand generation and go-to-market strategies to drive sustainability and profitability in the fleet industry. With 20+ years in SaaS technology, Nick has transformed the automotive sector, working with companies like TSD, Wunder Mobility, and UFODRIVE, helping expand automated van rentals across 300 Amazon depots. His global work spans B2B leasing, OEM programs, and lifecycle management. A Marco Polo Award recipient, Nick enjoys playing piano and guitar at open mic nights.

10 years with ABG, focusing on operations and fleet management
10 years as Business Development Manager for Hertz Nordic
6 years in the self-service industry

Johan is an entrepreneur who saw a gap on the market 10 years ago, where ID scanners were complex and expensive. Johan invented the first cloud-based ID verification system and the 365id Scanners only needs internet and power. Johan is driven by listening to the market, meeting customers needs and together with the 365id team, over exceeding customers expectations.

Dimpee Kalita is an accomplished commercial leader with over a decade of experience driving digital transformation and revenue growth in the global car rental industry. As Vice President of Sales & Strategic Partnerships at RateGain, she leads the company’s European car division, working with global brands, franchise networks, and technology partners to bring automation, AI, and data-driven decision-making to car rental revenue management.
A former Revenue Manager with extensive cross-industry experience, Dimpee combines deep operational knowledge with a passion for innovation. She played a key role in the development of Rev-AI, RateGain’s AI-powered revenue management platform that’s transforming how mobility operators price, forecast, and optimise performance.
At RateGain, a global leader in travel and hospitality technology specialising in Data-as-a-Service, Martech, and Distribution — Dimpee continues to bridge the gap between commercial strategy and technology, empowering mobility companies to future-proof their pricing operations and embrace the era of intelligent revenue management.

Matteo Forte is the Founder and CEO of SWITCH (www.getswitch.io), a Berkeley Skydeck company.

Supported by EIT Urban Mobility, SWITCH is building the Ultimate AI for Mobility and Logistics.

Matteo has been featured in the “Italian Book of Innovation” (Rizzoli). He’s a YTILI and YLP Fellow (U.S. Department of State, UK Government) and a Global Executive MBA candidate and he holds an Executive Master in IoT and Industry 4.0 Management from LUISS Business School. He advised Universities, incubators and VC funds on startup assessment and program development.

Thea Forsmo is Head of Product & Strategy at Assured Technologies, a fast-growing scale-up developing digital platforms that enable smarter mobility and logistics. She leads the company’s product development, strategic initiatives, and key innovation projects, from optimizing car rental operations to improving coordination across logistics and parking networks. A specialist in mobility and strategic development, Thea previously worked at Avinor, where she was responsible for nationwide mobility strategies and managed large-scale parking operations at three of Norway’s four largest airports.
At Hertz Norway, she held senior leadership roles driving initiatives in digital transformation, product innovation, and operational excellence. She also managed key commercial partnerships and represented Hertz as a Board Member at the Norwegian Car Rental Association.
Thea holds an MSc in Shipping, Trade & Finance from Bayes Business School.

Tobi Caesari is Senior Vice President, Head of Global Enterprise at Planet, responsible for the overall management of Planet’s Enterprise segment, covering new business development activities and existing customer relationships across all verticals and markets, including also Travel and Car Rentals. Tobi has worked in payments for 8 years, formerly as Vice President of Strategic Accounts for a global acquirer and has managed payment relationships with the largest companies in the world, implementing omnichannel solutions across Europe and North America.

Ammar Akhtar is the founder and CEO of Final Rentals, a global car rental brand that empowers independent and local rental companies to compete on an international stage. With nearly two decades of experience in the mobility and travel industry, Ammar transformed a vision born from firsthand industry challenges into one of the fastest-growing car rental networks worldwide, now spanning 55+ countries.
Before launching Final Rentals, Ammar worked with leading car rental brands for over 17 years, where he observed how smaller operators were often overshadowed by global giants. Determined to change this, he created Final Rentals to unite regional companies under one brand, giving them visibility, technology, and access to a global customer base while preserving their local expertise.
His entrepreneurial journey has been recognized internationally — including being featured in Entrepreneur UK and receiving awards such as the Fintech Leader of the Year 2024 and the Aled Miles International Impact Award.
Ammar is passionate about leadership, innovation, and ecosystem equality, and often speaks on how founders from underserved regions can access opportunities in the global tech landscape. A frequent keynote speaker at travel and technology forums, he brings a unique perspective at the intersection of mobility, fintech, and entrepreneurship — blending personal storytelling with practical insights on scaling ventures across borders.

With more than 30 years of experience, being a founder and general manager of a successful car rental company who was Sixt franchisee for 10 years in Portugal, moving into broker business in 2015.
Here the experience goes from managing all Portuguese & Spanish speaking countries, to manage all big multinationals, as well as business development.
In 2023 accepted the challenge of boosting Rentcars.com, Latam market leader, in EMEA and APAC. Being a internal business unit, have to oversee all department performance.
Being a service quality fan, follows closely all new products and tools that can boost car rental performance, what leads to better customer experience.

Chris is the Co-Founder and CEO of Tomorrow’s Journey. With over 20 years’ experience in the automotive sector, he is considered an international thought leader on the future of the industry that’s being driven by technology, new business models and changing consumer demand.
A regular speaker at events all over the world, Chris also hosts the popular ‘Auto Futurecast’ podcast. He meets with the leaders and innovators that are driving change in the automotive industry for deep and insightful discussions.

Mark Novak is the Chief Revenue Officer at Zubie, where he leads Global Sales, Partnerships, Marketing, and Customer Success, driving sustained double-digit growth since 2019. With nearly 16 years in the rental industry and 24 years across sales, operations, and strategy, Mark has been instrumental in positioning Zubie as a global telematics leader. He recently secured an exclusive reseller partnership with Bosch to introduce their Ridecare solution to the rental market.
A recognized industry voice, Mark is a regular speaker at the International Car Rental Show, the American Car Rental Association, the Car Sharing Association, peer-to-peer events, and rental brand conferences, where he shares insights on innovation, partnerships, and operational efficiency.”

Ramu Nair leads sales at INVERS GmbH, Europe’s largest provider of keyless vehicle access technology, holding a 70% market share in B2C services. The company currently has around 120,000 cars live on its platform — all fully equipped with keyless access. With 6 years of experience in B2C car rental and mobility services, Ramu helps operators transform traditional rental models into fully digital, app-driven experiences.
At INVERS, he drives scalable solutions for keyless access, remote fleet management, and modular technology integrations, empowering operators to streamline operations, enhance customer experience, and efficiently scale their mobility offerings.
Attendees should talk to Ramu to gain practical insights into implementing keyless and digital rental solutions at scale, understand the latest trends in fleet connectivity, and explore how leading operators are leveraging technology to boost efficiency, customer satisfaction, and revenue growth.

Steve Spencer is Head of Commercial Activities for Mobility at Amadeus, a global leader in travel technology and distribution. Steve oversees commercial partnerships with car rental and transfer companies that connect to and distribute through the Amadeus Global Distribution System. With over two decades of experience in the travel and mobility sector, he has held roles at Holiday Autos, Suncars, and First Choice Independent Travel, specializing in pricing strategy and car rental operations. Steve is a seasoned commercial leader known for driving growth, negotiating complex agreements, and managing international teams. Amadeus powers the travel ecosystem with advanced IT solutions and a centralized platform that connects airlines, hotels, car rentals, and more—serving over 217 countries and processing billions in travel transactions annually. Steve’s ability to bridge commercial and technical domains makes him a trusted voice in shaping the future of mobility and travel distribution.

Michael Meyer, President and Co-founder of RateHighway since 2002, has been a pivotal figure in the IT and services industry, especially in car rental rate automation. He launched the first rate automation system, RateMonitor Elite, in 2004 and integrated AI into rate management in 2017, marking significant industry milestones.
Michael’s career began as an avionics technician in the US Air Force, before moving into technology consulting at Microsoft and leading Rate-City, a hotel pricing system acquired by TravelCLICK in 2003. Recently, Michael expanded his influence to fleet management through Fleet Perfection.

Dedicated to advancing CarSharing initiatives and e-mobility, contributing to the transformation of European mobility landscapes. Known for leading cross-functional teams and optimizing sales operations, the focus is on enhancing customer satisfaction and driving innovative mobility solutions.

With over 25 years in sales and marketing and 12 years of specialized experience in the car rental sector, I have expertise in mobility solutions, sales processes, and customer satisfaction. The role involves directing European mobility strategies to align with organizational goals.

Redefining the car rental experience by bringing a fully digital, contactless model to Denmark — a market long dominated by traditional rental setups and fragmented shared mobility solutions. Swipngo bridges that gap by delivering the simplicity of shared mobility with the quality, transparency, and reliability of premium car rental.

Launching at Copenhagen Airport, Swipngo offers travellers a seamless, app-based journey from booking to return — no counters, no queues, no confusion. The goal is to set a new industry benchmark for convenience and efficiency in mobility.

With a background as Head of Central Operations, Revenue Optimization & Customer Experience for Scandinavia at Avis Budget Group, I have led digital transformations that directly improved both revenue and customer satisfaction. Today, I’m applying that experience to build a new standard for digital mobility in the Nordics — where technology, customer insight, and operational excellence meet.

David Öberg leads commercial operations at Hyre as Chief Sales Officer and Managing Director Sweden. Hyre is transforming how people rent and share cars across the Nordics through Car Rental 2.0 – a fully digital mobility platform covering the downtown, replacement, and airport segments. David drives the rollout of Hyre Replacement Car 2.0, enabling dealerships and workshops to manage replacement rentals directly through Hyre’s platform — boosting earnings, efficiency, and customer satisfaction.
Attendees can connect with David to explore how scalable digital rental models, ecosystem integrations, and data-driven fleet management are reshaping the economics of mobility across Europe.

Alexander Gmelin is a mobility and technology leader with more than 15 years of experience building digital products and connected platforms. He was one of the first employees at car2go (now Free2Move), the world’s first smartphone-based car rental service, where he was in charge of the global fleet. Since then, he has served as Chief Product Officer at Invers and Comodule, shaping IoT and mobility technologies for carsharing, fleet operations, and connected e-bikes and scooters. Today, he advises companies across the mobility and IoT space on product strategy and growth. Alex holds degrees in engineering from École Centrale de Lyon and TU Munich, and an MBA from Collège des Ingénieurs.

Vivien is Acquisition Manager for Mobility Service Providers in Europe at Bosch Mobility, driving partnerships that bring connected-vehicle solutions like RideCare to market. She helps fleet operators leverage real-time data to detect incidents such as damage or smoking and improve driver accountability. 

Born in Hamburg, Vivien has lived in the US, China, and Japan, and is now based in Stuttgart. After earning her degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Technical University of Munich, she joined Bosch in 2022 in Research and Development for electrified vehicles and moved into her current role in 2024.