Ride hailing giants Bolt appoints Kimberly Hurd to lead UK and Ireland operations
- Perry Richardson
- 15 minutes ago
- 2 min read
Bolt has announced the appointment of Kimberly Hurd as its new Senior General Manager for the UK and Ireland. Hurd will oversee the company’s ride-hailing operations in both markets, operating from Bolt’s London office.
Bolt launched in the UK in 2019 and Ireland a year later. Since then, it has expanded into 20 UK cities, supporting a growing number of riders and drivers across its platform. Hurd’s remit includes driving growth across these areas and ensuring operational efficiency for users and the 100,000 drivers earning through Bolt.
Hurd brings over 15 years of experience in running and scaling marketplace businesses. She was most recently Chief Growth Officer at Onsi, a fintech platform providing insurance, payments and benefits for flexible workers. Her previous roles include UK CEO at Zomato and founder of the food experience service Tabl.
She also has a background in investment banking and consultancy, having worked at UBS and Accenture. Hurd holds an MBA from London Business School.
The appointment follows the publication of Bolt’s 2024 Ride-hailing Economy Report. The data shows that 86% of drivers value flexibility as their main reason for working with ride-hailing platforms. Around 70% use more than one platform to manage their income, and more than half are parents balancing work with family responsibilities.
Kimberly Hurd, Bolt’s new Senior General Manager for the UK and Ireland, said: “Bolt is already transforming how people move around towns and cities, making transport much more accessible and efficient. My priority now is to build on that momentum, strengthening our local impact, and enhancing the experience for passengers and drivers alike.”
Hurd added: “Over the past five years, my focus has been on developing and optimising first-of-their-kind tools and services that support drivers, who are the core of the ride-hailing sector. By focusing on what drivers want and need and continuing to innovate and grow for our passengers, we will transform the cities we live in and ultimately improve transport for everybody.”
Paddy Partridge, Bolt’s Senior VP for Ride-hailing, said: “We’re welcoming Kimberly at a pivotal time for Bolt in the UK and Ireland. Her leadership and deep expertise will be instrumental as we continue to expand and improve our services in the region, increasing value for both customers and drivers.”
