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Global chauffeur service Blacklane named Henning Groß as chief technology officer (CTO). Groß runs Blacklane’s engineering and product teams, which comprise one third of Blacklane’s 350 employees. Most tech employees work in Berlin or Barcelona, and the company is hiring in both locations.
Blacklane names Henning Groß as chief technology officer (CTO)
Groß oversees the ongoing development of Blacklane’s product, technical innovation, resilience and security to support guests, chauffeurs, corporate travel managers and travel agents. His responsibilities include Blacklane’s booking platform, guest and chauffeur apps, and customer service technology.
“Blacklane has surpassed pre-pandemic monthly revenue and we forecast strong growth this year,” said CEO and Co-founder Jens Wohltorf. “Henning has the technical expertise to scale our systems to the next level and the people skills to grow and develop our crew.”
Groß replaces Frank Steuer, who co-founded Blacklane with Wohltorf. Steuer remains as shareholder and as part of the company’s board of directors. He handed over daily work to split time between Berlin and Finland with his family.
Groß has an extensive track record building efficient companies and transforming organizations. He focuses on an open culture, healthy team structures and performance-oriented values.
“Blacklane modernized the chauffeur industry. The company made local, professional chauffeurs available and affordable around the world,” said Groß. “Our priorities for the post-pandemic travel era include complimentary services for airlines and cruises, chauffeur hailing for on-demand rides, and innovative electric vehicle (EV) service.”
Groß has served as CTO in the insurance, marketing, IT services, and media and publishing industries. Before those, he held senior technical roles in online retail, automotive and translation services, and is the co-founder of three companies.
Visit blacklane.com for more information.
[04.19.22]
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In a surprise turn of events, the Biden administration dropped the mask mandate that had been in effect for airlines, transit hubs, and other modes of transportation (including public transit) for the past 15 months after a Florida judge ruled that US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had exceeded its authority with the mandate. The original mandate, which was due to expire April 18, was recently extended through May 3 pending reassessment.
Following the announcement, most major US air carriers said that masking would be optional and not subject to enforcement, which included Delta, America, United, Southwest, and JetBlue. In addition, Amtrak, Uber, and Lyft all released statements that masks were no longer required to use their services.
Note that many cities and states are still enforcing their local mandates, including New York’s MTA, San Francisco’s BART and Caltrain, and Chicago’s CTA on all forms of public transportation. Additionally, Philadelphia recently announced the return of masks in indoor spaces like restaurants and sporting arenas, but that masks were now voluntary on the city’s transit authority, SEPTA. Other public transit systems like NJ Transit and Los Angeles’ Metro will longer enforce but highly encourage face coverings.
US Travel Association Executive Vice President of Public Affairs Tori Emerson Barnes
While the announcement was a welcomed one for many, including transportation associations that have been advocating for a phase-out of the current restrictions, especially on airplanes, there are others that remain trepidatious considering rising cases of COVID (hospitalizations, however, remain relatively low at this time). The Association of Flight Attendants, for example, has been neutral on the lifting of the mandate even before the court ruling due to the ambivalence of its membership and the uptick in confrontation and violence that many attendants have experienced in the past two years. The association urged for the patience of its members and the traveling public as the nation works through this new stage.
For others, this fortuitous announcement couldn’t come soon enough.
“The current decision to halt enforcement of the federal mask mandate effectively returns the choice of mask usage on planes and other forms of public transportation to travelers and travel industry workers, a further step toward endemic management of COVID. We also continue to urge the administration to immediately end pre-departure testing for vaccinated inbound international passengers, which discourages travel and provides limited public health benefits,” said US Travel Association Executive Vice President of Public Affairs and Policy Tori Emerson Barnes.
As this situation is rapidly changing, check with your local agencies for more information.
[04.20.22]
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The International Association of Transportation Regulators (IATR) will celebrate its 35th anniversary in Memphis, Tenn., at its conference scheduled for September 22-25. After two challenging—yet productive—years weathering the pandemic together virtually, IATR will finally visit the Southern destination, which was slated to be the host of its 2020 conference. IATR conference attendees will take part in four days of educational and networking activities, including visiting Graceland (the home of Elvis Presley), enjoying live music venues on Beale Street, as well as meeting the legendary ducks at the historic Peabody Memphis Hotel.
The theme of the IATR’s 35th Annual Conference will be “Transportation Equity!” with almost every conference session focused on the concept of equity. Sessions will address promoting accessible, affordable, and sustainable transportation for everyone in the community, with a fair distribution of resources, benefits, costs, programs, and services that account for differences in income, ability, and other factors affecting modal choice.
While associate and industry members are invited to attend, they must be a sponsor or a first-time attendee. Contact the association for more details on rates.
Visit iatr.global for more information.
[04.12.22]