management

Ben Whitaker – CEO

A Co-Founder of Masabi, Ben is the company’s product evangelist, focussing primarily on business development at the company. He is a familiar face on both the mobile and train industry circuits, regularly invited to interviews and speaking slots at major industry events worldwide.

A classic visionary, Ben helped define the UK rail mobile ticketing standard and move the weight of industry opinion behind it. He is also a security expert with a strong engineering background, designing Masabi’s award-winning encryptMe product. Prior to founding Masabi, Ben worked at IBM, Xerox and Raytheon (Encrypted Radar Systems) on projects ranging from computer interface usability to military cryptography. Ben has an MEng degree in Engineering and Management (MET) from Cambridge University.

Tom Godber – CTO

Tom is a Co-Founder of Masabi and a mobile programming expert with a passion for design and usability. Keenly aware of changing mobile trends in what is one the fastest moving consumer markets today, he defines the technical strategic goals and implementation plans that allow Masabi to best meet the needs of end users.

Tom has spent almost ten years at Masabi building mobile applications, servers and frameworks, troubleshooting, and architected a gaming platform now processing millions of dollars per month. Prior to founding Masabi, Tom worked with Accenture and Trilogy Software in addition to founding MoMo Estonia. Tom has a master’s degree in Computer Science from Cambridge University.

Ed Howson – CMO

Ed has over ten years experience in telecoms marketing and PR working with companies from across the value chain from core infrastructure technology, through handset components to mobile content. Since co-founding Masabi in 2001, he has lead marketing and media outreach for the company.

In 2005, Ed also founded specialist PR agency Temono which has since grown its client base to include: IPWireless, Ubiquisys, RAD Data Communications, the Femto Forum and Ericsson IPX. He previously worked at AxiCom, a leading pan-European PR and Marketing consultancy where he managed accounts including Flarion, Trigenix, Airespace, RealNetworks, Symbian, Sierra Wireless, Esmertec, Beatnik and IBM.

Dee Coakley – COO

As Chief Operating Officer, Dee holds responsibility for the management of operational functions of the business, and commercial and strategic development. Joining Masabi in 2009, she has over eight years’ experience in marketing, financial planning and strategic development as Commercial Manager with entertainment marketing agency, BigTime, and Commercial Planning and Marketing Manager with media group, The Sanctuary Group plc.

Dee has a Bachelor of Business Studies from Dublin City University and has also studied at Boston University School of Management. She participated in a two-year in-house management training programme with The Sanctuary Group plc, and is currently studying for the ACCA DipFM.

Giacomo Biggiero – CPO

As a product expert, Giacomo maintains the Masabi product road map; oversees the production, release and distribution of Masabi’s mCommerce products; and manages the expansion of the product offering. He also maintains key customer relationships, drives technical sales activities, and has worked closely with the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC) to help define the future of mTicketing in the rail industry.

Giacomo originally joined the team in 2005 as a developer for mobile applications, where he worked on the design and development of the UK rail product. He later progressed to Project Manager, introducing Agile methodologies to a team of developers tasked with evolving the rail ticketing application and furthering the company’s handset and platform strategy.

Giacomo previously co-founded Ship Concept Design Software in conjunction with a major shipping firm and private investors, where he was responsible for developing the underlying technology and raising company funding. He has also worked for Advanced Design Technology.

Giacomo has an M.Sc, BEng in Mechanical Engineering from University College London.