Pitching the future of maps: Benoit Joly proves why it's worth investing in real-time mapmaking

Creating something is only half the journey. Getting that creation into the hands of the customers is the second half. This is where Benoit Joly, Senior Vice President of Automotive Sales, steps in. From his youth, building basic games and trying out new gadgets, to his decorated career in the tech industry, Benoit is very comfortable with innovation. This makes him the perfect ambassador for TomTom’s products. Hear Benoit’s story from a recent interview and how it led him to TomTom today.

Where it all started

“I grew up in a family that encouraged curiosity,” Benoit reflected. He started programming from an early age, “building basic games and testing many variants.” Additionally, thanks to his father’s role in press distribution, Benoit was continually exposed to content around innovation, setting him up for a future at the frontier of technological change.

Benoit’s creativity went even further than programming. In addition to keyboard keys, Benoit is a specialist with the piano keys too. “When I was a kid, I liked to immerse myself in music, especially piano,” Benoit said, “I learned classical music, and went quite far in the process, even taking part in regional contests and teaching young players when I was 18.”

This last part demonstrates Benoit’s natural ability to knowledge share and encourage others. Combined with his interest in “new gadgets” and his “appetite for innovation,” Benoit is the perfect fit for the tech industry.

Into the heart of innovation

Benoit has an illustrious resume. From the American telecommunication company MCI WorldCom (now Verizon Business) to the carmaker Renault and more, Benoit shares that his career followed a consistent path: “I have always been at the forefront of introducing new disruptive technology to the market.” Whether it’s voice/video-over IP, Smart Home technology, or connectivity within cars and homes, Benoit has had a hand in sharing these with the world.

He’s also someone who helps push these big industrial shifts, making them the new norm. Even from his earliest position as an apprentice for MCI WorldCom, Benoit revealed how “it was fascinating to deploy the first high-bandwidth networks.” Benoit was also candid about his approach to facilitating these kinds of big changes: “You have to rethink everything, engage with people differently and approach each project with fresh eyes and creativity. This need for rethinking and innovation is what fuels my passion for tech.”

This is particularly relevant for automotive, which is in a transformation of its own. As our vehicles being increasingly digital, the automotive industry “requires a change in mentalities, hiring of new skills, rethinking and evolving how to go to market, and much more,” reflected Benoit. And yet, he doesn’t seem flustered by the challenges at all. “Even with the advent of AI, the cards are being reshuffled once again: this makes it super exciting!”

This ambition – to drive the transformations of familiar and new technologies – made him the perfect person to help TomTom get its revolutionary Orbis Maps and TomTom products into the hands of its customers.

Why Benoit chose TomTom

“

TomTom is transforming itself to become a state-of-the-art open technology and service platform that takes charge of complex mobility topics like safety, electrification, and more... TomTom is at the stage in this transformation where I think I can bring value when we go to market.

Benoit Joly

Senior Vice President of Automotive Sales, TomTom

While it would appear a daunting task, Benoit admits that this is appealing to him, “to orchestrate the automotive sales approach and pave the way to future commercial successes.”

And this is all made manageable thanks to two factors: Benoit’s “very strong team composed of industry-respected sales and solutions consultants,” and the company culture. The latter Benoit describes as “collaborative and respectful, with all forces looking in the same direction. This gives everyone the confidence that is needed to express their skills and talent fully.”

Benoit finished by discussing where TomTom can go in the future. “It has the ability to become the leading automotive-grade, consumer-friendly and AI-driven location technology services provider in the industry,” Benoit believes. That’s why he plans to continue to build and execute our sales strategy in the automotive market, so that TomTom can be the company that transforms how maps are made for the foreseeable future.

Sealing the deal

The future is bright for TomTom with the support of TomTom’ers like Benoit and his team. In fact, Benoit goes as far as to say that “it couldn’t be more exciting!”

Do you want to be part of that excitement? To change the way people see their surroundings in their cars, on their phones and beyond? To put products into the hands of our customers and users the world over? Put your name on the map.