Transportation Transitions: Isaac Instruments, Bestpass, etc. name new leadership

Isaac Instruments names Bouchard as first CPO to accelerate innovation

Isaac Instruments recently announced the elevation of J.S. Bouchard to the role of chief product officer. Bouchard is one of Isaac’s co-founders and a leader in the company’s mission to simplify trucking for fleets and drivers across North America.

“J.S. is the perfect choice to lead our efforts to further elevate Isaac’s product capabilities and keep us at the forefront of industry innovation,” said Jacques DeLarochelliere, Isaac’s CEO and co-founder. “He has a deep understanding of the trucking industry and puts the fleet client experience at the center of every decision.” 

Bouchard most recently served as executive vice president, responsible for implementing Isaac’s business strategy. He has played a critical role in the development and commercialization of the Isaac solution and Isaac InControl mobile tablet since its inception.

“For the past 15 years, J.S. has spoken with hundreds of trucking fleets to understand what keeps them up at night," DeLarochelliere said. "This invaluable knowledge combined with his computer engineering background has prepared him to lead a product team that will ensure Isaac remains the best in-cab trucking solution for many years to come."

Isaac also announced that Sam Sussenguth has joined the organization in the role of chief sales officer.

Sussenguth has spent his career in the transportation telematics sector, developing close relationships with fleets and helping them implement technology to benefit their operations. His experience includes managing high-performing sales professionals.

“I’m honored to join Isaac and look forward to working closely with the team to help trucking fleets become safer, more efficient, and productive,” Sussenguth said.

Bestpass adds innovation and growth executives

Bestpass, a provider of toll management solutions and a major innovator in safety and compliance solutions for commercial fleets, recently announced two additions to its leadership team. Bestpass welcomes Shay Demmons as chief product officer and Scott Chao as chief marketing officer. These hires will aid in Bestpass’ commitment to scale its service offerings and network integrations for commercial fleets and owner-operators. 

“We’re thrilled to have Shay and Scott join the team at Bestpass,” said Tom Fogarty, CEO of Bestpass. “We set out to build out our Innovation and Growth teams by attracting accomplished leaders as our first C-Level executives in product and marketing. Scott and Shay bring extensive and dynamic work experience, both in and outside the transportation industry. As we continue to grow the Bestpass brand and bring forth new solutions for our customers, I am confident that their leadership will play a pivotal role in driving our success.”  

Chao joins Bestpass as CMO with experience in growing companies through strategy and transformational improvements. Chao recently served as CMO and chief growth officer for Appspace, a workplace management software company backed by private equity firm Accel-KKR. Prior to Appspace, he held sales and marketing leadership positions at other private equity-backed companies, including DealerSocket, Stack Sports, and Cvent. 

Demmons joins Bestpass as CPO, with more than 25 years of experience in product and development across multiple industries, including commercial transportation. Most notably, Demmons served as CPO at GPS Insight, a fleet management and field services company, where he was responsible for the strategy and execution of all product and development-related activities.   

See also: Bestpass integrates toll data with Geotab telematics

Legendary trucking radio personality Dave Nemo to retire 

After over 50 years of keeping truck drivers entertained, radio personality Dave Nemo is retiring from his full-time duties as host of The Dave Nemo Show on SiriusXM’s Road Dog Channel 146. While he will continue to lend his name, expertise, and distinctive voice to the broadcast, Nemo is stepping back to play percussion, travel, and in his own words, “Do what I wanna do when I wanna do it.”

The radio legend will spend this coming year not only continuing to host his show but also increasing his travel schedule to thank his many friends throughout the industry. Calling these appearances “The Last Ride of The Road Gang,” RadioNemo of North America will celebrate the career of its namesake co-founder with parties, live broadcasts, and special events. The connected events will be sponsored through generous partnerships with United Axle, Drivers Legal Plan, and JobsinTrucks.

“The Last Ride of The Road Gang” got underway at the Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville when Nemo made the official announcement from the SiriusXM broadcast booth.

But Nemo has made it clear that this is not goodbye, but merely “another new direction in what has been a long journey.”

For the better part of five decades, Nemo focused on the informational needs of his truck driver listeners. Regardless of the topic of conversation or the subject of the interview, his broadcasts placed the men and women who delivered goods and services throughout the country squarely at the center of the show. Beginning principally as a disc jockey and humorist on WWL’s legendary up-all-night “The Road Gang" broadcast, Nemo proved resilient through multiple changes in his formats, locations, and audiences. He transitioned from his early days of spinning records and generating laughs into a trusted, non-partisan voice for the industry.

Moving forward, “The Dave Nemo Show” will continue with Nemo lending support not only to his trusted colleagues Jimmy Mac, Lindsay Lawler, and Tim Ridley but also to the many contributors who make the program comprehensive. The show can continue to be heard on weekdays on SiriusXM Road Dog Trucking (channel 146) from 7 to 11 AM ET.