New global sales manager at Savvy Navvy

Marine navigation app Savvy Navvy has appointed Jacco Willemsen as its new global sales manager. In his new role, Willemsen is responsible for creating a global distributor network and increasing app sales.

Willemsen previously worked as EMEA sales manager at Navionics for a decade.

“I have kept an eye on Savvy Navvy closely the past few years, and now feels like the right time for a new challenge,” he says. “Savvy Navvy is really challenging the bigger navigation apps on the market. The idea is to create a global distributor network, allowing dealers to earn from the app, which is a unique advantage compared to other products in the market,” says Willemsen.

Willemsen is based in the Netherlands and has spent most of his career in the marine industry. He has spent the last decade leading sales for Navionics (Garmin), especially in the USA, Europe, and the Middle East.

“We’re super excited to welcome Jacco on board as we continue to scale up Savvy Navvy,” says Jelte Liebrand, the firm’s founder and CEO. “His wealth of experience and innovative ideas to get us into dealers as the first navigation application is very much in line with our vision to support the industry and get more people to enjoy the water through safer and simpler navigation.”

Willemsen’s appointment comes just a few weeks after Savvy Navvy reached more than 1.8 million downloads and launched its latest feature. ‘Importing Markers’ allows users to import their favourite locations and markers from various navigational tools using a GPX file upload.

In May, Savvy Navvy appointed US-based Alisdair Martin as its new board advisor as the firm continues to scale up its growth.