Welcome to Hertz Global Holdings, Inc. 2026 annual meeting of stockholders. I am Colin Farmer, Chair of the Board, and it is my pleasure to welcome you to today's virtual meeting. I now call the meeting to order. I will act as Chair of the meeting, and Piero Bussani, the company's Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer, and Corporate Secretary, will act as Secretary of the meeting. I would also like to introduce my fellow Board members, Tom Wagner, Vice Chair of the Board, Frank Blake, Lucy Clark Dougherty, Vincent Intrieri, Michael Gregory O'Hara, Andrew Shannahan, Evelina Vougessis Machas, and Gil West, the CEO of our company. Representatives from the company's independent auditor, Ernst & Young, are also present and will have the opportunity later to make a statement if they choose. At this time, I have a few brief procedural items to address.
First, the meeting's agenda and the rules of procedure are available through the web portal. Second, if you have not yet voted, you may do so through the web portal. Third, we will hold a question-and-answer session before voting is closed. You must be a stockholder in order to ask a question. Each stockholder is limited to two questions, and questions must be related to the matters to be voted on at today's meeting. Now, I would like to turn the meeting over to Piero.
Thank you, Colin, and good morning. The notice of internet availability of proxy materials was mailed on or about April 16th, 2026, to all stockholders of record as of the close of business on March 30, 2026. The company has had a record of stockholders as of that date, and a duplicate record has been available for the last 10 calendar days for inspection by any stockholder at our corporate headquarters. I now present the affidavit of distribution of the notice of internet availability of proxy materials. Based on this affidavit, today's meeting is being held pursuant to proper notice. Richard L. Leza Jr. has been appointed as our Inspector of Elections, and he has informed me that proxies representing more than 50% of the company's outstanding and issued shares of common stock eligible to vote are present at today's meeting.
As a result, a quorum is present, and the meeting is duly constituted and may proceed. Please note that this meeting is being recorded and will be available on our website within approximately 48 hours following the meeting. However, no one attending the meeting via webcast or telephone is permitted to use any audio recording device to record this meeting.
Thank you, Piero. The quorum report is accepted, and I direct that the affidavit of distribution be made part of the minutes of today's meeting. We will now transact the business of the meeting. The first item of business is the election of directors. Two directors are nominated for election at today's meeting. The elected directors will hold office for a three-year term until the 2029 annual meeting of stockholders and until her successor is duly elected and qualified. Each nominee's background and experience are described in our 2026 proxy statement. Lucy Clark Dougherty and Evelina Vougessis have been properly nominated for election or re-election, as applicable, to the Board, and as indicated on the proxy statement. The Board of Directors recommends that stockholders elect or re-elect, as applicable, each of the nominees.
Our bylaws require that any stockholder wishing to nominate a director provide advance notice of his or her intention to do so. No such advance notice was received. As a result, I declare the director nominations closed. The second item of business is the ratification of the appointment of Ernst & Young as the company's independent auditor for the fiscal year ending December 31st, 2026. The board of directors recommends that stockholders vote in favor of this proposal. As I mentioned earlier, representatives from Ernst & Young are attending today's meeting and are available to answer appropriate questions during the question-and-answer session of this meeting regarding the firm's selection as our independent auditor. The third and final item of business is the approval on an advisory basis of the compensation of the company's named executive officers.
Information relating to this advisory vote and its effect are detailed in the proxy statement. As indicated in the proxy statement, the board of directors recommends that stockholders vote in favor of this proposal. If any stockholder would like to ask a question regarding any of the proposals, please submit it through the web portal at this time. Piero, do we have any questions that are relevant to matters to be voted on at the meeting?
Colin, there are no questions relevant to matters to be voted on at today's meeting.
Thank you, Piero. I now declare the polls open so that any stockholder who has not yet voted or wishes to change his or her vote may do so by clicking on the Vote Now button on the web portal and following the instructions. Stockholders who have previously sent in proxies or voted do not need to take any further action. We will now take a moment to allow any stockholders that wish to vote or change their vote the opportunity to do so. I now declare the polls closed. The Inspector of Elections has provided preliminary results of the voting. Piero, would you please read those results?
We have been informed by the Inspector of Elections that the preliminary vote report shows that each of the director nominees has been elected to serve a three-year term expiring at the 2029 annual meeting of stockholders. The appointment of Ernst & Young as the company's independent auditor for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2026, has been ratified, and the advisory approval of the compensation of the company's named executive officers has passed. Details of the final vote count will be made available through the filing of a Form 8-K with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission within four business days of this meeting.
Thank you, Piero. There being no further business, I hereby declare the 2026 annual meeting of stockholders adjourned. Thank you all for attending today's meeting and for your continued investment in Hertz Global Holdings, Inc.
The meeting has now concluded. Thank you for joining, and have a pleasant day.