New Head of Sales describes Lightfoot as “the future of telematics”

Lightfoot, the award-winning in-vehicle technology and driver rewards platform, has announced the appointment of industry heavyweight, Kevin Hennelly, as new Head of Sales.

Kevin, who has an impressive track record spanning almost a decade, has successfully implemented hundreds of telematics contracts, spanning over 24,000 vehicle units, in a broad range of public and private sectors, including government, utilities, charities, construction, facilities and social housing.

Kevin joins Lightfoot having been inspired by its success in transforming the way its customers’ fleets are driven, while lightening the load on fleet managers.

He comments: “Telematics systems are great and offer a wealth of information, but beyond a limited deterrent effect, they only raise awareness of problems as opposed to actually solving them. Lightfoot has a totally different approach, solving issues at source, using real-time in-cab visual and audio alerts that deliver tangible results in terms of more efficient, more cost-effective and safer drivers. Lightfoot is a game changer and I wanted to be part of it.”

In his new role, Kevin will work closely with Lightfoot’s national sales team, applying a wealth of experience gained during his time working for one of the country’s leading telematics suppliers. Kevin will oversee the sales team’s growth as the businesses expands to meet demand.

Commenting on Hennelly’s appointment, Rupert Lyon Taylor, Managing Director of Lightfoot’s Fleet Division, said: “Kevin has spent the last eight years working in the telematics industry and, in this time, he has sold at every level. He has won and managed major accounts and many of his clients have been household names. It’s an exciting time for our business and we’re confident that Kevin will play a big part in our future growth as well as expanding our rapidly growing team.”

Speaking about his decision to join the Lightfoot team, Kevin added: “I’ve been involved in telematics for years. Many customers have been happy with the masses of data these systems produce and if that’s all you want, telematics may well be the thing for you.

“However, Lightfoot is different. It’s not about producing endless amounts of data to be actioned. That’s the attractiveness of this system for me – it addresses the problem at source. This means it isn’t reliant on a fleet manager back at the office analysing and actioning the data. Instead, it works in-cab in real-time, providing drivers with the feedback they need to improve. It’s self-managed driver behavioural change and I think it’s revolutionary.

“But what really separates Lightfoot is the concept of rewarding better drivers. Engaging directly with drivers in-cab and providing them with incentives to maintain a smoother driving style is what enables and encourages drivers to self-improve. I think it’s fantastic and the positive feedback received from Lightfoot drivers speaks volumes.

“For those with a real interest in driver behaviour, who don’t want the burden of actioning mountains of data, Lightfoot is a great solution. Plus, it is proven to deliver significant savings.”

Lightfoot’s ambitious plans for expansion have been given a further boost in the last month with the award of the first £1 million Innovation Loan from Innovate UK, the government’s innovation agency.

The loan brings a host of new benefits for Lightfoot’s fleet offering. This will include a considerably boosted driver rewards platforms, a new generation of hardware in-vehicle, and innovative new ways of interacting with the driver to help them get the most from their vehicle. The loan will fast track the introduction of functions including new voice options and easier, quicker driver identification in-vehicle.

The loan will also play a key role in aiding Lightfoot’s continued growth. In the past year Lightfoot has doubled its number of employees, and this figire is set to double again in the next twelve months as demand for its in-vehicle technology and driver rewards platform continues to flourish. To cope with its continued, rapid expansion, Lightfoot will move to larger premises in Chudleigh later this year, supported by funding from the Regional Growth Fund (RGF).