Get to Know: Chief Product Officer, Rohit Jain
Rohit Jain joins Zum after nearly seven years at Walmart Labs, where he established and led a team of more than 200 product managers, designers and product analytics experts building and scaling Walmart’s e-commerce technology, and nearly a decade at Amazon working across a number of areas, including mobile shopping and international payments. With a distinguished background in logistics and technology, Jain will lead product development at Zum, while scaling the team to reimagine student transportation for a safer, more sustainable, and more equitable future powered by Zum technology.
“Student transportation is an industry built to move our most precious cargo safely and securely, yet it hasn’t changed in decades.” says Jain. “ I am looking forward to being part of this journey – building technology and scaling a team that can have a real impact on our kids, communities and the planet.”
Get to know Rohit’s philosophy on taking on life’s challenges.
5 Questions with Zum’s Chief Product Officer, Rohit Jain
What was the last photo you took?
Veggie King Ramen dish. It was right after the strenuous 10 mile hike at Black Mountain (near Los Altos, CA). Having hot, yummy Ramen noodles after such a hike is the best thing one can have! If you didn’t photograph it, did you even eat it?
What is your favorite sport and what team are you a super fan of?
Football (or soccer as it is called in the US!) is my favorite sport. My favorite team is Manchester City who were yet again crowned as the English Premier League (EPL) champions this year – go boys in blue! They have now won EPL in four out of the past five seasons. I believe that two of my favorite superstars from the team currently, Pep Guardiola (coach) and Kevin De Bruyne (mid-fielder), are the best the sport has ever produced.
What do you consider to be your greatest achievement so far and why?
Completing my last semester of grad school in Fall 2001 to get my master’s degree in just a year and a half. Despite life throwing all kinds of challenges – from family loss, to forced missed classes and more, I was still able to complete all of my grad classes at an accelerated pace. It was tough and required perseverance against those who believed my setbacks meant I couldn’t graduate on time. Looking back, it has shaped me into who I am today – believing anything is possible if you work hard, have determination and fight to problem solve in even the toughest of circumstances.
What excites you about your role being Zum’s Chief Product Officer?
Since I first learned about Zum, I have been excited about its mission of bringing student transportation into a new era enabling greater safety, sustainability, equity and transparency. I’m honored to have the opportunity to be part of this mission and build products and technology from the ground up that can have a real impact on our kids, communities and the planet. Nothing can be more exciting and humbling for a product person than the opportunity to roll up my sleeves and work to make a lasting impact.
Which Zum pillar resonated with you the most? (Flexibility, Equity, Efficiency, Safety, Sustainability and Community)
“Community” was Zum’s pillar that resonated with me the best. It unites all of the other pillars together. Ultimately, everything we are doing at Zum – whether it be transporting students safely, saving money with efficiencies, increasing access to reduce inequalities or replacing harmful and polluting diesel buses with electric vehicles to protect the environment for future generations – it is about serving and helping communities to reach their fullest potential now and in the future.