Find out more about the passionate team of sailors and computer scientists that are the brains behind Savvy Navvy.
Jelte deltog i seglingstävlingen Clipper Round the World 2014 ombord på Jamaica. Han hade gott om seglingserfarenhet, men att segla från San Francisco till New York var något helt annat än vad han hade gjort tidigare. När han seglade tusentals mil utanför kusten lärde han sig hur svår navigering kan vara. Uppdatera sjökort, ladda ner väderprognoser, förutsäga båtens hastighet, undvika vindbyar med över 50 knop vind; allt detta tog timmar och timmar under däck, där man ritade kurser på en dator samtidigt som man hängde på en 45 graders krängning. Jelte blev övertygad om att det borde finnas ett enklare sätt.
He spent two years researching and building the foundation for Savvy Navvy and in July 2017 he left his job at Google to get his vision of easy, safe navigation out to every sailor on the water. The rest they say is history!
Kevin och Jelte går tillbaka 18 år, när de arbetade tillsammans för Symbian och skapade det mobila operativsystemet för (då) framtiden.
Having travelled the world for work and pleasure and worked in many industries for large companies, Kevin realised that what he really likes is working in small teams where he can be really hands-on and make a meaningful contribution. So when Jelte explained his vision for Savvy Navvy and how the app would disrupt the sailing tech world, Kevin jumped onboard immediately.
Han har en bred erfarenhet av affärsverksamhet inom olika sektorer, bland annat energi, kemikalier, hårdvara och mjukvara. Han tycker särskilt om att interagera med kunder från många olika länder, lösa nya problem och förhandla och hantera kontrakt.
På fritiden är Kevin amatörfotograf och drönarpilot. Han är också en nybörjarseglare som ser fram emot att testa företagets yacht. Vi har inte berättat för honom att vi inte har någon ännu.
Alex began her tech journey at Google as part of the engineering team behind Maps and Earth. Post-Google, Alex has steered growth for several tech startups, spanning from edtech to fintech.
With a shockingly terrible sense of direction and thirst for travel and adventure, digital mapping (on land or water) is the #1 piece of technology she truly couldn’t live with out. Based in Colorado, Savvy Navvy expands her water-sport activities beyond mountain lakes and rivers to the open sea.
At Savvy Navvy, Misha combines his two passions - navigation and boating. He’s a map fan, having worked in geoservices at Yandex for 10 years, where he led a popular car navigation app. In 2018, Misha also became a boater and later founded the first and only boat-sharing club in Russia. Misha moved to London in 2022 via a UK Global Talent track. With a dream to bring together his love and experience of mapping, sailing and user-centric design, he now leads product development at Savvy Navvy. And dances the rest of the time.
Bartosz Hejman, based in Warsaw, Poland, is the driving force behind Savvy Navvy's App Development Team. He transitioned from a successful basketball career to become a code genius, showcasing adaptability and determination. Bartosz leads the team in creating a user-friendly and innovative navigation app, combining his sportsmanship spirit with technical expertise. In the heart of Warsaw, he's steering us towards a future of precise and innovative navigation.
Meet David, our super awesome Partnership and Innovation lead!
David has worked on and around the sea pretty much his whole life. Joining the Royal Navy at 16, racing around the world as part of the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race then working shore-side on multiple round the world races. David is an RYA Yachtmaster, has sailed over 100,000 miles and is passionate about the water, sailing and seamanship.
David will work closely with the team to grow our network of savvy users and commercial partnerships around the globe to help us grow over the coming years.
Toby Jakes is the financial anchor behind Savvy Navvy, responsible for steering us through the complex waters of budgeting, forecasting, and financial planning. Based between London and Lymington, Toby brings his financial expertise to ensure Savvy Navvy to ensure we reach our goal of making boating safe and fun for everyone. In addition to his financial acumen, Toby is an avid motorboater and music enthusiast, infusing his passion for both into his work and leisure time.
Jesús, based in Spain, is our Flutter Engineer. He combines technical expertise with creativity to craft seamless and visually appealing mobile applications. With Jesús on our team, we're charting a course to deliver outstanding mobile experiences.
Chris började segla i början av tjugoårsåldern och tillbringade de flesta helgerna med att tävla med båtar längs Storbritanniens östkust från Burnham-On-Crouch, där han tävlade både i kustnära tävlingar runt burkarna och i offshore-tävlingar över hela Nordsjön. En flytt till sydkusten 2010 har gjort det möjligt för honom att överföra sin passion för segling till sitt arbetsliv som digital marknadsföringsansvarig.
As our Growth Hacker Chris is tasked with the continued growth of the Savvy Navvy community, overseeing our marketing activity with a focus on paid and organic activity.
När han inte seglar eller tävlar på torsdagskvällen i Lymington kan du hitta Chris när han cyklar runt i New Forest både på och utanför vägen, paddlar, äter walesiska kakor och försöker hindra sina barn från att styra huset!
Jacco is based in the Netherlands, is Savvy Navvy's new Global Sales Manager. With over a decade of experience at Navionics (Garmin) as the EMEA Sales Manager, Jacco brings extensive expertise in marine navigation sales. Jacco is no stranger to global waters - he learnt to walk on a boat and has been into watersports ever since spending his whole life either surfing or sailing. At Savvy Navvy runs our global distributor network to expand Savvy Navvy beyond the online sales.
With a strong background in routing technology, Surya plays a pivotal role in optimising and streamlining our navigation solutions. As a Routing Engineer, Surya excels in creating efficient and reliable routes for our users.
Surya completed her Bachelor's degree in India and then went on to work for Mercedes Benz R&D as a software engineer she developed her love for algorithms and programming. After completing her Master's degree in computer science in Germany Surya joined RideOS to work on their routing engine. Since then Surya joined Savvy Navvy.
“Although I have zero experience or knowledge of sailing, the task of routing through open seas is a fascinating challenge. I can't ask for a better set of people or a better company to work for.
As someone who enjoys travelling and experiencing different cultures, I can't believe I missed out on sailing so far.”
Andy grew up in a seaside town in Dublin and, having spent his childhood sailing, kayaking and rowing, is passionate about all things related to the water. Prior to joining Savvy Navvy he worked in various marketing and business development roles for technology companies in both Germany and Ireland.
Han träffade Jelte via ett nätverk för Google-alumner och efter att ha undersökt appen närmare blev han övertygad om att han och teamet hade något speciellt på gång. Efter flera veckors ihärdigt tjatande lyckades han övertyga Jelte om att ge honom ett jobb och resten är, som de säger, historia.
Vår man i Spanien väntar ivrigt på att få ta hand om alla kundsupportfrågor. Ivos bakgrund, erfarenhet och flera språk utgör ryggraden i vårt supportteam och hjälper kunderna med frågor och problem och ger värdefull information till teknikteamet för att utveckla appen.
Living just outside Valencia, surrounded by marinas and boat-enthusiasts, he discovered the beauty of boating after he joined Savvy Navvy's team. He, his wife and two kids spend their evenings near the coast, but you can always find him available to answer your question, help you with your technical inquiry or just for a chat.
Elena Petru, our Geospatial Data Engineer, is originally from Romania but she now calls Exeter home, trading in the Black Sea for the English Riviera. Elena has a longstanding geomatics background spanning from consultancy with multinational Jacobs and leading UK prop-tech company Landmark.
Elena specialises in harnessing the power of geospatial data to drive innovation and enhance our navigation solutions. As a Geospatial Data Engineer, Elena brings a keen analytical mind to the team. She's adept at transforming complex geographic data into actionable insights, ensuring that our navigation tools are not only accurate but also user-friendly.
“Inherently curious, I've always been drawn to the uncharted. Shifting from land to marine geodata was an exciting transition; the ocean, after all, embodies the ultimate unknown, so I’ve found my niche as a Geospatial Data Engineer at Savvy Navvy maintaining our data pipelines and deriving valuable insights.
In my free time, I'm a globe-trotting adventurer, forever searching for the next thrill and that perfect, elusive beach spot."
Isabel brukade ro i kanalerna i den danska huvudstaden Köpenhamn. Sedan dess har hon bytt ut de danska vattnen mot Solent i Storbritannien och tillbringar sitt arbetsliv med att skapa PR inom den marina industrin.
Isabel promoted the Clipper Round the World in media across the globe during the 2012-2013 race working closely with David. They’ve recently reconnected about various PR opportunities, and she has since joined the Savvy Navvy team, as our PR Manager getting our the Savvy Navvy app in front of journalists and media outlets around the world.
Född i Bermuda och uppvuxen i Karibien tillbringade Hannah större delen av sitt liv med att bo på eller nära båtar! Hannah är en ivrig sjöman sedan två års ålder och blandar sin förmåga till berättande med en kärlek till havet.
"I love working with Savvy Navvy to help shake up the future of marine navigation. The ocean and boats have been a part of my life for longer than I can remember so working every day to make that environment a better place for everyone and to tell the stories of this incredible team and our member is an honour."
In her spare time Hannah loves travelling the world, sailing to new and exciting destinations, surfing and generally living outside with her husband and rescue dog Kiwi. Hannah also claims to be a part time pirate.
Tim and Jelte worked together at Google My Business; the team that helps put businesses on Google Maps. Before that he was the principle designer for YouTube mobile apps. A cartographer by trade, there is nothing that Tim can't turn his design skills too and we hope you like his design touches in the Savvy Navvy app as much as we do.
Han har seglat sedan tonåren när han lärde sig segla en jolle på Firth of Forth i en kraft 8. Han har bemannat regelbundet på en betong 40ft yacht från Pin Mill, Ipswich och har nu sin egen segelkanot.
Matt började segla jollar i tidiga tonåren i norra Wales och blev rya senior jolleinstruktör.
After earning a PhD in physics he wanted to combine his love of sailing and research. Matt is responsible for modelling tidal currents and extracting meaningful data from satellite imagery to enhance the Savvy Navvy experience.
Han letar också alltid efter ett bra tillfälle att komma ut på vattnet, så om du behöver en besättning till din yacht i Texas, hör av dig till honom.
Vi är öppna för att lägga till nya spelare i vårt lag, om du tror att du kan tillföra värde till vårt företag, vänligen kontakta oss!