National Car Rental has appointed Anoushka Drexhage as its new director of business travel for Europe, Middle East and Africa.

The group says this appointment confirms its commitment to expand its business customer base to include small to medium-sized businesses.

It already boasts a strong market position with large corporates, it added.

Drexhage is supported in her role by a team of business travel managers in locations throughout the EMEA region.

Her career originally began in sales and marketing for Europcar, working in Holland and France. She has also worked in distribution, working for Amadeus in Madrid, and in 1997 joined Avis where she developed frequent flyer partnerships with airlines.

National said: 'As director of business travel, Anoushka's main priority will be to identify business travel management consortia for the creation of partnerships on a pan-European basis.

'Her experience in distribution, knowledge of the business travel sector and expertise in creating relationships with the airlines will prove invaluable in this role.'

Drexhage said: 'In these difficult times for the travel industry National is committed to providing a highly responsive and financially attractive proposition for business travel consortia, while helping them to increase their SME revenue streams.'