San Francisco — Zippin, an industry leader in checkout-free technologies for brick-and-mortar retail, has hired veteran business development executive, Gary Jacobus, as senior vice president, business development. Most recently, Jacobus was with SSP America, the leading operator of food & beverage concessions in travel locations, where he grew the business by over $470 million in annual revenue during his 3-year tenure. His proven track record within the sports, entertainment and transportation venue verticals will help to further expand Zippin’s footprint in these core markets.
Previously he held a similar role within Aramark’s Sports and Entertainment Division, which serves professional and collegiate sports stadiums and arenas, convention centers and amphitheaters. He also held senior business development positions with the NBA, NFL, IMG and the United States Tennis Association.
“As retailers look beyond the pandemic, they see a world changed forever,” says Zippin CEO Krishna Motukuri. “Technologies that would normally take several years to achieve mass adoption have become commonplace in a matter of months, and frictionless retail is no exception. Gary’s expertise will help continue our momentum and take advantage of the demand we’re experiencing. His knowledge in both the airport business channels and pro and collegiate sports venues makes him the ideal candidate to lead our global expansion.”
Zippin has been leading the deployment of checkout-free technologies around the world with installations in pro-sports stadiums — including the NFL’s Denver Broncos and the NBA’s Sacramento Kings and San Antonio Spurs — corporate campuses of Fortune Companies, and global retailers in Brazil, Russia and Japan.
Zippin’s projected global growth for 2021 — accelerated by the pandemic — signals that for brick-and-mortar retailers, it’s now a matter of “when” to deploy frictionless shopping technology, not “if.” Jacobus will oversee the expansion of existing partnerships as well as secure, maintain and renew partnerships.
“Zippin’s platform changes everything. Guests at a sporting event, shoppers in a grocery store, travelers in an airport, or students on a college campus, will now be able to grab something to eat or drink and get on with their lives. Zippin eliminates the friction and keeps us moving — all the more important at a time of social distancing and keeping workers and shoppers safe,” says Jacobus.
For more information, visit www.GetZippin.com.
SOURCE: Zippin