Ben O'Sullivan is the Payments Product Manager at Zapmap. That means he leads on our EV charging payment solution, Zap-Pay – creating the product vision, strategy and roadmap.
See how Ben is finding life working at Zapmap, how he got to where he is, and why he wanted to join Zapmap in the first place.
Working at Zapmap
“Life at Zapmap is fast paced, captivating – and fun”, says Ben O’Sullivan from across the table in the boardroom we have snatched for our conversation.
“My role involves talking to users to find what their needs, pain points and desires are, as well as seeking input from other key stakeholders. Of course, then there’s a lot of work figuring out what we can do to improve Zap-Pay in a way that works best for the users and the business.”
Although relatively new to the EV sector, Ben is crystal clear on what he’s aiming to achieve. “The goal is to make Zap-Pay as simple, easy to use and attractive as possible”, he continues.
He also has advice for others joining who haven’t worked in EV before: “If you’re new to the industry, don’t worry about absorbing it all straight away – it takes time and it does come.
“Everyone’s so accommodating and friendly, if you have any questions just ask.
“To be honest, I’m loving working for Zapmap. It’s interesting, challenging and exciting – all the things you want from a job.”
Digging deeper into some of the specifics of the role, it is obvious Ben has been hard at work.
“Launching ApplePay has been a highlight for me,” he says. “It was one feature that when I first looked at the product I felt it was missing, so getting that over the line was great.”
“I was looking for an innovative company in an innovative space, which had a core social responsibility aspect to it as well.”
Other highlights have included putting together his first strategy document for Zap-Pay, which brought together insights gained from users, competitors, the industry – and then, of course, getting to work on delivering it.
“I like the people,” Ben continues. “That’s one thing that has jumped out at me. The passion, the knowledge: I think the leadership is great, the team is strong in terms of skill set, and you’re given autonomy.”
Why Zapmap?
Before he started at Zapmap, Ben was Head of Product & Technology at a company called sQuid.
“Essentially it’s an aggregated payment system for on-campus payments,” Ben explains. “It covered all kinds of e-commerce activities, so for schools this meant paying for meals, trips, uniforms and pretty much anything they sold.
“I’d been there for 12 years and I felt that I’d taken the product as far as I could.
“I was looking for a change – specifically for an innovative company in an innovative space, which had a core social responsibility aspect to it as well.”
The EV industry seemed exciting to Ben, as well as renewables. “When I came across Zapmap, the product excited me,” he says.
“And I love payments, so the role struck me as very appealing!”
“Everyone’s so accommodating and friendly, if you have any questions just ask.”
What next for Zapmap?
“Looking ahead, I think in three years’ time, Zapmap will still be the leading EV app in the UK, the go-to app for all EV drivers,” says Ben.
“The app will definitely have evolved and we’ll be meeting some different needs from today, but the fundamentals will still be there.
“We’ll have made a big impact in Europe and the US, and be processing millions more Zap-Pay transactions. And of course, we’ll be helping our partners to harness the power of Zapmap and really push the EV industry forward!”
Outside of work, Ben spends much of his time with his wife and daughters, taking them to gymnastics and dance shows, and exploring the great outdoors.
I’m loving working for Zapmap. It’s interesting, challenging and exciting – all the things you want from a job.
