We hope that you are enjoying our new Drive format! It is exciting that in our evolution we have become more intersectional giving us the ability to highlight more stories about diversity, inclusion, equity and belonging. If you have a story idea or a role model you want to celebrate, please get in touch. We want to hear from you.
Email usSubmit an article idea
Meet the Team
Leigh Lafever-Ayer
VP Human Resources – UK/Ireland
Leigh started her Enterprise career in Nashville, Tennessee after graduating college in 1989, and since then, she has held many roles in Enterprise rental, talent development and human resources. Leigh is passionate about diversity, inclusion and equality and champions many activities especially around gender diversity, including being creator and editor of DRIVE. Outside Enterprise, she is on the board of Business In The Community's Gender Equality Leadership Team, she is on the advisory board of the Global Diversity Practice and also on a board advisor to Bridge Builders, a mentoring programme for socially and financially excluded teenagers.
Sarah Berthon
Account Set-Up Team Supervisor, UK and Ireland Sales Team
Sarah joined Enterprise in 2013 and has achieved several promotions (and relocations) since then, all of which has contributed to her experience and network within the business. Sarah joined the DRIVE Editorial Board in April 2016 and has been an active contributor ever since, which led her promotion to ‘Deputy Editor’ in August 2017. Sarah works closely with DRIVE Editor, Leigh Lafever-Ayer, as well as the other members of the Editorial Board, to ensure the relevance and effectiveness of DRIVE as part of Enterprise’s diversity strategy.
Samantha Meredith
Employer Brand Marketing Manager
Samantha joined Enterprise as a Management Trainee in 2006. She progressed to a Branch Manager position before joining the talent acquisition team where she has worked for the past ten years. She has recently moved into the role of Employer Brand Marketing Manager. In this position, Samantha develops, presents and implements Enterprise's global employer brand to attract the very best, diverse talent to Enterprise. She is an advocate for diversity, inclusion and equality in the workplace. She is also an active member of the UK diversity committee working on the social mobility strand and holds a position on the 'BOSS' board. Outside Enterprise, Samantha is a member of the Women and Work All-Party Parliamentary Group.
Kalifa Hickinson
European PR/Corporate Communications Manager
Kalifa joined Enterprise in 2015 as a Corporate Communications Specialist supporting internal and external communications in Europe. She was promoted to Senior Corporate Communications Specialist in 2017 and again to European Corporate Communications Manager in 2019. Kalifa holds a degree in journalism and a MA in media and communications. She is a strong advocate for diversity and inclusion. She was instrumental in the creation of RADAR, that enables Enterprise to track diversity activities, served on the national diversity committee, and joined DRIVE’s editorial board in 2016. She is Co-Chair of the recently created Embrace committee promoting ethnic and racial inclusion.
Clare Beynon
Talent Acquisition Manager – Marketing - UK/Ireland
Clare joined Enterprise Rent-A-Car as a management trainee in 2002. From here, Clare has developed a multifaceted career within HR as well as operations and as an area manager. Diversity and inclusion has been at the forefront of Clare’s career. She has been on the Drive editorial board for eight years, is a key partner and lead on Women in Rental and Leadership events, and is now also responsible for the team that targets universities and colleges throughout the UK/Ireland to recruit our next generation of diverse leaders.
Ayshee Akhtar
Senior Billing Co-ordinator
Ayshee joined Enterprise in 2016 and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism, Media, and Culture from the University of Roehampton. She has worked in multiple teams in Corporate Business Support. Ayshee is constantly seeking for opportunities that take her further into her career and especially that allow her to promote diversity, inclusion and belonging for all. She has been on the Drive editorial board for over two years, as well as being involved in the BOSS Group, a Business In the Community (BITC) mentoring circle. She is now looking forward to being part of the Race, Religion, and Ethnicity Committee on the UK99 campus.
Adam Lovelock
Vice President of Operations, London and Southeast England
As the Vice President for Operations for London and Southeast England region, Adam is responsible for the leadership, management, and strategic direction for Europe’s largest group. He has held a number of senior positions, as Group Rental Manager for the East of England and the Southeast region and most recently, as Assistant Vice President/Sales Director for the UK and Ireland Insurance Sales Division. Adam was the Level 4 sponsor for the Thrive Committee at EU99 which focussed on employee wellness especially to address the stigma surrounding mental health and disabilities in the workplace. He also played an active role in the EU Diversity Committee as part of the disability strand. Adam is also an active board member for Business in the Community for the South East.
Sarah Williams
National Account Manager – UK/Ireland
Sarah joined Enterprise in 2004, and progressed through rental operations and sales to her current role as a national account manager on our UK sales team, managing a diverse customer base of customers utilising Enterprise Flex-E-Rent, Enterprise Rent-A-Car and Enterprise Car Club. Sarah focuses on the customer journey, on improving access to and utilisation of our varied products and services to give our customers the best possible experience when choosing Enterprise as their mobility partner. Sarah has been a key member on Women in Leadership events, and is a newly qualified Mental Health First Aider.
Jennifer Koontz
AVP European Airport Properties & Relations
Jennifer started her Enterprise career at EHI’s corporate headquarters in St. Louis in 2001 and moved to the UK to work at the headquarters at EU99 in 2014. She has held a variety of corporate roles in government and public affairs, car sales, real estate and airports. Jennifer is an ardent supporter of diversity, inclusion and equality in the workplace and champions many activities especially around gender diversity and battling gender bias. She was responsible for introducing the Lean In initiative to EU99. Outside Enterprise, she has served on the board of Nurses For Newborns in St. Louis, has been actively involved with Girl Scouts of the USA and is a mentor to many women at Enterprise.