Fleet1000 speaks to Jaama CEO Andrew Holgate on compliance, connected systems and software that works in the real world
"Compliance is what keeps fleet directors awake at night. The regulatory environment around duty of care, emissions, and driver risk management is intensifying, and the consequences of getting it wrong are severe."
Andrew Holgate joined Jaama after identifying what he saw as something rare: twenty years of domain knowledge combined with software embedded deep inside large and regulated fleet environments. As CEO, his focus has been on strengthening that foundation: making compliance feel “boringly reliable”, connecting workflows across drivers and managers, and ensuring data leads to action rather than just reporting.
In this Fleet1000 interview, Andrew shares his perspective on leading a mature fleet platform in an increasingly noisy tech landscape, what decision-makers should expect from their software providers, and why AI in fleet must be disciplined, secure and built for real operations.
What first drew you to the world of fleet software, and what continues to motivate you about leading Jaama today?
"I spent a great deal of time with my investors looking for businesses to acquire and lead. When I found Jaama, I saw something genuinely rare: twenty years of deep domain expertise, a strong customer base, and software that runs some of the most complex fleet operations in the country. The opportunity to modernise the platform, accelerate innovation, and build on those relationships was too good to walk past.
"One thing I didn't expect was how welcoming the fleet industry is. It's collaborative, pragmatic, and quietly ambitious. People share ideas, they solve problems together, and they care about doing the right thing by drivers and the public. It's forward-looking in a very grounded way, which I love.
"Here's the thing that struck me early on and still does. It's virtually impossible to travel on any stretch of road in the UK without seeing a vehicle that's owned, leased or managed by a Jaama customer. Our technology plays a real part in keeping the UK moving safely and efficiently, which is a real motivator.
"What keeps me energised day to day is simple. Our software makes fleets more compliant, efficient and safer. And the people at Jaama are the most customer-obsessed, sleeves rolled up team I have worked with. When your customers and colleagues are as collaborative and engaged as our are, you can move fast and build what actually matters."
What made you decide to focus so strongly on compliance, efficiency, and automation, and why are these such critical areas for fleets to get right?
"Because they’re non-negotiable, they’re existential, and they’re hard. We want to help our customers with their most important problems.
"Compliance is what keeps fleet directors awake at night. The regulatory environment around duty of care, emissions, and driver risk management is intensifying, and the consequences of getting it wrong are severe. We have built Key2 so that compliance is embedded in every workflow. It should feel almost boringly reliable!
"Efficiency is under relentless pressure from all sides. Margins are tighter, energy costs are volatile, driver shortages are structural. Fleets need to extract more value from every asset and every pound spent. If technology isn't improving utilisation and reducing waste, it becomes an expense line.
"Automation ties it together. You can't manage the scale and complexity of modern fleet operations with manual processes and spreadsheets or lightweight software. The system handles routine decisions and enforces policy, so people can focus on the areas that require judgement.
"Our commitment, above all else, is to our existing customers. We spend a great deal of time listening to them, understanding where the friction sits, fixing what is not working, and building precisely what they need. That is how we stay focused on the problems that genuinely matter."
Are there particular workflows or innovations within systems like Key2 where you’ve seen the quickest returns for operators?
"The biggest gains come where data, process, and decision making converge in a single system. Three areas in particular are also giving operators quick returns:
"Firstly, turning data into practical insight.
Fleets generate huge volumes of information, but value only appears when that data becomes clear, usable insight. With Key2, the real gains come when the system highlights unusual cost patterns, unexpected utilisation trends, or early signs of compliance drift, so teams can act before issues turn into downtime or wasted spend. When drivers, managers, and operations teams all share one clean view of the facts, decisions come faster and the improvements follow.
"Secondly, creating connected workflows.
Fleet operations touch far more than the fleet team itself. Technology has the biggest impact when it connects multiple team members through one coherent workflow. In Key2, that means a driver can flag an issue quickly, the manager receives the information they need to act, suppliers are given clear instructions, and leadership get visibility without chasing teams. When everyone is aligned around the same data and processes, organisations see faster turnaround times and a more predictable operation end to end.
"Finally, getting maximum value from assets and supplier relationships.
Understanding the true performance of vehicles and supplier partnerships is not just about reducing cost, although that matters. It's about making sure every asset is used effectively, recognising where wrap around services add value, and making replacement or retention decisions based on evidence rather than assumptions."
What should decision-makers be asking of their software providers to ensure their data is joined up, secure, and genuinely delivering operational value?
"Best practice begins with recognising that connected fleet systems are not only about data, interfaces or APIs. They’re about people. Drivers, responsible managers, fleet administrators, leadership teams and supplier partners all rely on the same information to keep vehicles safe, compliant and productive. A connected system should make their jobs easier, not harder.
"Decision makers should be asking if their software brings these communities together. Does the system give drivers a simple way to report issues from the road? Does it notify responsible managers immediately so they can act without delay? Do suppliers receive clear, consistent instructions so work can start quickly? Does leadership have the visibility they need without having to chase updates from multiple teams?
"The technical foundations still matter. Organisations should expect proven APIs, strong governance around data ownership, and clear controls over how information is secured in transit and at rest. But those things exist to serve a purpose. The real test is whether the data flowing through the system translates into confident decision making, faster action and fewer operational surprises.
"There's a difference between software that demos well and software that runs tens of thousands of vehicles without failing on a Tuesday morning. Fleet is a safety-critical environment. Twenty years of operating in that environment isn't a marketing line for us, it's why customers trust us. Anyone can write code. Very few write code that understands fleet compliance at the depth our customers require."
How do you see the role of AI, data integration, and sustainability reporting evolving over the next 12–24 months, and where does Jaama fit in that future landscape?
"There is an enormous amount of noise in the market. Plenty of vendors are bolting a chatbot onto their product and calling it AI powered. That is not the point. The point is whether AI is embedded into operational workflows in a way that is secure, auditable, and genuinely useful for the people running fleets every day.
"Fleet management is safety-critical infrastructure. AI in this context has to be built with the discipline and rigour of enterprise software, not thrown together over a weekend. The companies that will matter in AI for fleet are not the ones who moved fastest. They're the ones who moved most carefully.
"Over the next 12 to 24 months, we will see fleet software shift from being report led to being action led. Intelligent agents will monitor fleets continuously, spot anomalies in cost, utilisation or compliance, predict maintenance before it becomes downtime, and take routine actions within clear rules. The fleet manager moves from chasing data to making better decisions.
"Agents only work if they're anchored to a trusted system of record. They need authoritative data about vehicles, drivers costs and compliance obligations. We have twenty years of operational context and deep domain logic that's been refined across thousands of customer interactions. That's an extraordinary asset. AI models are commodities. The data and domain knowledge they operate against are not."
What’s been the most valuable lesson from your career about leading innovation and guiding teams through change?
"You cannot lead a technology business from a distance. You have to be close to the product, close to the customer, and close to the work. The moment you start managing by slide deck, you lose the plot.
"I am deliberately hands on in this regard. We have exceptional people, but I believe the CEO needs to see the truth first hand. Where the product sings, where it creaks, and where customers feel friction. That is where the real work is, and it is where the best ideas come from.
"We spend a huge amount of time talking to our customers to understand their pain points. That discipline earns trust. Trust earns loyalty. Equally, I came into fleet from a technology and commercial background whereas our domain experts have decades of industry knowledge, so I lean on them when it makes more sense. We’re able to move quickly as a business because of that combination of team members.
"People ask what makes Jaama different. It's the compound effect of twenty years of domain knowledge, a team that genuinely cares, a customer base that collaborates with us, and a leadership team that refuses to coast. That combination is very difficult to assemble and even harder to replicate."