The founder and CEO of EVie takes time out to talk to Channel Eye ahead of Jersey TechWeek.
Job title and where you currently work?
I’m the founder and CEO of EVie.
Please tell us about yourself…
I’m a serial entrepreneur and I’ve been involved in the IT sector since 1989, as founder, seed investor and non-executive director for a number of tech start-up companies, several of which have been listed on the Alternative Investments Market in London (AIM). I founded my first business, Ashley House Ltd, a contract publisher, at the age of 28. In 1996, I founded DataCash plc, a payment processing company which offers a global gateway to secure multi-channel payment processing, fraud and risk management services; this was sold to Mastercard in 2010. Since then I have acted as a non-executive director on the boards of both private and listed companies in Jersey and the UK. I’ve been a resident of St Ouen’s since 1996, and the time is now right to put something ‘good’ back into Jersey.
How did you end up in your current role?
I founded EVie with the aim of trying to help wean Jersey off its unhealthy reliance on the personal vehicle by providing zero carbon, sustainable, on demand, shared transport. On an island of nine by five, this has got to be one of the best places in the world to try and make a positive change for the better.
What’s your involvement with TechWeek?
EVie is very glad to be sponsoring ‘Session 6: Islands as a Testbed.’ In 2020, with significant and much appreciated early help from Digital Jersey, EVie successfully launched its core Mobility as Service offerings, recruiting over 1,300 and 10,000 members to its car and bike share services respectively. During 2021 we plan to test a range of new services and explore ways in which we can help embed shared, on demand, zero carbon mobility, helping to move Jersey towards a more sustainable future.
What’s new and exciting in your field for 2020?
The general adoption of shared micro-mobility in cities globally and the growing interest and investment in Mobility as a Service (MaaS) from public authorities.
What figure in your industry do you admire and why?
Sampo Hietanen, CEO of MaaS Global and the author of MaaS as a concept.
What innovation in your industry do you think has been a game-changer and why?
The advancement of vehicle IoT, enabling affordable and sustainable shared transport for all. This has also seen the advent of ‘dockless’ systems such as EVieBike in Jersey.
Are you aware of any significant development or innovation in the pipeline that you believe will be important in your sector?
The changing mindset towards MaaS as a reliable, sustainable transport choice and a potential replacement to a personal car.
How do you think the Channel Islands can become a player in digital innovation and solutions?
Trialling smart city initiatives, using the data and AI to create a better Jersey: infrastructure, transport, environment and the overall wellbeing of citizens.
What did you want to be when you were a child?
Score a hundred at Lords, on day one, against the West Indies attack.
What do you do in your downtime?
At the moment, not much. When EVie has become a bit better established I look forward to getting back to our two long distance walks every year. And, I seem to have rediscovered cycling.
How can your industry innovate to help people living in the time of Covid?
The Covid-19 pandemic has created an opportunity to redesign mobility towards far greater sustainability, efficiency and resilience. In six months, EVie recruited over 10,000 members to EVieBike largely without the help of tourism. It is clear that the chance to get out on a bike into open air for pleasure and exercise was a much-appreciated bit of relief for many. We provided a free EVieBike and a subsidized EVieCar service to healthcare and social workers to support the Jersey effort.
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