Masabi, the leader in mobile ticketing and payments for transit, today announced that Brian Zanghi has joined the company as its new Chief Executive Officer and President. He will assume the role immediately and is focused on accelerating growth globally in the evolving mobile ticketing market. He replaces previous CEO, Co-Founder Ben Whitaker who will remain with the company as Head of Innovation.

Prior to joining Masabi, Brian was CEO of Awareness, Inc, a provider of social marketing software. Before that he also served as CEO of Kadient and held ‘C’-level positions at a variety of software companies such as SPSS, NetGenesis and eRoom.

Masabi’s mobile ticketing software has been selected by New York’s Metropolitan

Transportation Authority (MTA) to provide mobile ticketing for both the Metro-North Railroad (MNR) and Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) and is currently in use by 19 transit properties globally, including Boston’s MBTA, San Diego’s MTS and Virgin Trains and First Group in the UK. 

“Masabi is already a firm fixture in both US and UK transit markets. We are delighted that Brian will be leading us on the next phase of our growth as we take our services and innovation global,” said Ben Whitaker, Co-Founder of Masabi. “His background and skills are a fantastic addition as we expand our services to transform transit payments and create the foundations for the connected Smart Cities of the future.”

“What excites me most is Masabi’s focus on enabling a simple and easy travel experience for all passengers,” said Zanghi. “It represents the end of ticket lines, lost tickets and fumbling for cash by allowing passengers to quickly and securely buy and display tickets on their mobile phones. It’s a thrill to be part of a company that makes such an impact to such a wide base of consumers.”

“The growth we have seen has been spectacular, with launches in major global cities like London and Boston, securing the contract for New York’s MTA and other major European contracts soon to be announced. I am personally excited to be able to work with Brian to continue to grow Masabi through a focus on customers, partnerships and product strategy,” said Tom Godber, Co-Founder & CTO. “Brian’s experience and leadership will be a powerful addition to the company that will create a step change in our ability to lead the market.” 

About Masabi      

Masabi is the leader in transit mobile ticketing and payments, delivering end-to-end systems to agencies that bring significant cost savings and enhanced customer experience. Masabi’s JustRide system signals the end of ticket lines, lost tickets and fumbling for cash by allowing passengers to quickly and securely buy and display tickets on their mobile phones while also capturing data and consumer analytics on the backend. Masabi enables transit agencies to move away from capital-intensive “locked-in” systems, such as smartcards and costly customized ticket machines, to a flexible, open system that transforms passengers’ travel experience today, with a roadmap to NFC and open payments in the future.

Masabi is backed by Fontinalis Partners, m8 Capital and MMC Ventures. The company’s scalable cloud-based technology already processes more than 110 million dollars per year, handles millions of connections per day, and is in use by 19 global transit agencies and retail brands, including: Virgin Trains, First Group, Boston’s MBTA, San Diego MTS and CrossCountry Trains. Masabi has also been selected by New York’s MTA to provide mobile ticketing for both the Metro-North Railroad (MNR) and Long Island Rail Road (LIRR).