The highly experienced Service-as-a-Software executive and business leader, Bob Mann, is appointed chairman of Lightfoot, a software company that helps promote more efficient driving.

Mann joins the recently appointed managing director, Paul Hollick, also chair of the Association of Fleet Professionals, as the company seeks to expand its operations.

Currently  working with customers in the UK and Germany, Lightfoot plans to roll out its real-time, in-cab driver coaching and rewards platform to the broader EMEA markets before expanding into wider international territories.

Mann’s vast experience will certainly help enable this ambition. He is chair of Openbravo, one.network, Social Value Portal, ethiXbase, and a board member of Zift. Previously he ran the European operations of several US software companies, including Siebel Systems, and rapidly turned Relayware - now part of Zift - into a leading global SaaS solutions provider, delivering services to improve channel performance and accelerate revenue growth.

Rupert Lyon Taylor, Lightfoot’s CEO, commented on Mann’s appointment:

“Bob has invaluable experience in helping tech businesses grow at speed and scale, both domestically and internationally. Bob’s expertise in the SaaS sector is unrivaled and will prove a huge asset as we move to develop the business in this direction.

“Currently, our in-cab coaching device is perfectly suited for the retro-fit ICE and EVs market and the decarbonization of fleets agenda, but we are always looking forwards which includes integrated SaaS solutions of the future. This will enable us to deliver SaaS driver coaching and rewards in next-generation vehicles, future-proofing our technology.”

Responding, Bob Mann said:

“Lightfoot is hugely exciting in the Environmental, Social and Governance and transportation arenas. In a world where geopolitics is making the price of fuel a real headache for organizations, and where businesses are having to adopt measures to reduce their impact on the environment, Lightfoot provides a solution that both reduces fuel use, and delivers against the decarbonization agenda today.

 “Fleets may not be able to switch to EVs tomorrow, but they can deliver significant fuel and emissions reductions through the adoption of Lightfoot’s technology. And when the time comes to switch, they will find that their drivers are pre-conditioned to an EV-ready, smoother, range-extending style of driving; all because Lightfoot focuses on motivating and rewarding drivers to be better.”

Lightfoot secured investment from Volpi Capital in 2021, which has enabled the business to advance R&D and new product development.

The Lightfoot system monitors efficient driving with an in-cab display and engages drivers to transform the way they drive in return for prizes and rewards. According to Lightfoot, the system has been proven to cut CO2 and fuel use by up to 15%, reduce at-fault accidents by up to 40%, and wear and tear costs by as much as 45%.

“It’s this rich combination of benefits and savings that is causing CFOs and CEOs to sit up, take notice, and act,” added Hollick.