First published in Festival of Marketing, 2019
Jonny is the UK CEO of the global mobile parking payment provider PayByPhone. In November 2018, he was brought in from BMW Group, where he spent 13 years, to lead PayByPhone through a phase of rapid expansion, and the company is growing quickly under his leadership. Jonny is passionate about how PayByPhone and parking technology fit into the wider automotive ecosystem and into smart and sustainable cities. He is an ardent rugby fan, faithfully supporting his home nation of Scotland.
We sat down with Jonny to find out more about his work at PayByPhone
Hi Jonny, it’s great to have you joining us for Festival of Marketing 2019. Firstly, can you give a brief explanation of what PayByPhone does?
Sure, thank you – it’s great to be here. PayByPhone is a cashless parking payment solution that allows users to pay for parking and extend their parking sessions remotely – with a smartphone or via an Apple Watch running watchOS4.
What first got you interested in technology and innovation?
I’ve been interested in technology since I was a child; I still remember vividly one of my classmates had a watch that could change the TV channel – and that blew my mind. As an adult, I was fortunate enough to lead the team that setup and ran BMW’s new UK innovation programme. I loved being a part of that as it was all about using innovative products and services to make life better for the customer. And actually, that is also what PayByPhone is about in a nutshell.
You’re appearing on the Future of Cities panel at Festival of Marketing which, among other topics, will be covering smart cities – how do you define a ‘smart city’ for consumers and companies?
A “smart city” will make daily life easier and more hassle-free for consumers and it will create opportunities for businesses to become more efficient and sustainable.
For us in the parking space, advancements in tech mean that drivers in the not-too-distant future will be able to rely on their cars to identify the route to the closest available parking space, to take them there autonomously, to park the car and to pay for the parking session with only the touch of a button.
What is your vision for PayByPhone in a future London (without giving too much away before Festival!)
PayByPhone is all about making life easier for those who use our service. Travelling in London isn’t always straightforward. People often have to change from one mode of transport to another, and for many, parking punctuates these changes, making it a key constituent of their journeys. My vision for the future in London is that we take the stress out of travel. We’re aiming to do this with parking, but really it goes far beyond that.
Any sessions or aspects of Festival of Marketing that you’re looking forward to in particular?
There are so many great speakers at this year’s event. I definitely don’t want to miss Andy Lippman’s presentation on the Headline stage. His business insights on the latest trends in technology are always fascinating. I’m also looking forward to meeting my fellow panellists at the Tech and Innovation stage and to have a good chat about the future of cities.