Simon Fraser joins Budget Car & Driver in Vietnam as General Manager

As Budget Car & Driver gets set to celebrate its one-year anniversary in Vietnam, the car rental company has appointed Simon Fraser as General Manager.

In 2000, The Australian ventured into the Asia Pacific region with chemical manufacturing giant Orica, taking on project management duties offshore in Papua Guinea and Malaysia.

Half a decade later, Fraser joined the operations and marketing division at tire and rubber behemoth Bridgestone. That was followed by a move to Vietnam in 2007 and the title of operations manager for media conglomerate News Corporation, where he managed large and small-scale joint venture projects with both Vietnamese companies and government agencies.

"With Simon on board, we've got the foundation for a dynasty," said Walter Blocker, CEO of The Gannon Group, which owns the franchise rights to Budget in Vietnam. "We had an exceptional first year, but we're confident we can take the business to another level now. We've added an all-star to the lineup."

One initiative Fraser is already close to pushing through is an agreement with SASCO — one of Vietnam’s largest, full-service corporate travel companies — that will give Budget a presence in both the domestic and international terminals at Ho Chi Minh City’s Tan Son Nhat Airport. An expansion into the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi is also in the works.

Budget’s move into Vietnam was a major cross-cultural leap, as precious few foreigners drive on Vietnam’s roads. To address this issue, the Budget service provides each client in Vietnam with a well-trained native driver who functions as a traveling concierge, complete with strong English-language skills and knowledge of the immediate region.

Budget Car & Driver’s customers can choose from an extensive fleet of vehicles, including Toyota Innovas, Ford Everests and Escapes and Mercedes-Benz sedans and vans.

Cars are priced from $99 to $249 per day and are equipped with amenities such as mobile phone, international newspapers and magazines, chilled water and towels and 24-hour customer-service support.

Budget, which celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2008, has approximately 3,400 locations in more than 125 countries. Budget is owned by Avis Budget Group, Inc., which operates and franchises the brand throughout the world.

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