In early July, Kévin Pinsard took over as CEO of Favendo GmbH. After his first three months in the role, the former Product Manager and CTO reflects on his experience and shares what his focus will be moving forward.

You took on the role of CEO at Favendo in July. How did that come about?

Kévin Pinsard: It was a gradual process over the past months—if not years. I’ve been with Favendo since 2021. I started as a Product Manager and over time, I took charge of our development team. For the past few months, I’ve been CTO. So, when the opportunity to become CEO came up, it was a natural next step and something I was really passionate about. I’ve gotten to know the company inside and out, the team, our customers, and the market. Plus, having built strong relationships with our clients through numerous projects and on-site meetings has been a big advantage for me.

You mentioned a gradual career progression at Favendo. How did your professional journey begin?

Kévin Pinsard: After graduating with an engineering degree focused on entrepreneurship in France I worked in various roles. For five years, I was Product Manager for Lead Generation Solutions at United Internet Media GmbH, and before that, I was the Competition Team Manager at visionlab architekturexport. Eventually, family brought me to Bamberg, and that’s how I found my way to Favendo. The field of Real-Time Location Systems (RTLS) was totally new to me, but I got the hang of it bit by bit with the help of my fantastic team. Over time, I became really passionate about developing our portfolio, and a major milestone was launching our RTLS Suite in 2023.

Have you settled into your new role?

Kévin Pinsard: I’d say so. The transition went pretty smoothly. As a Product Manager, you’re already the link between different departments—development, marketing, sales, project management—so before officially stepping into the CEO role, I’d already worked closely with all areas of the company. Our customers and partners were kept in the loop about the change, and since I already knew the ropes, the handover was well-prepared. It was important to me to bring the whole team along from the start. That’s why I made it a point to meet with everyone early on to get their thoughts and ideas. That gave me a solid overview as I stepped into this new position.

What’s your vision for Favendo? Where do you want to take the company?

Kévin Pinsard: One of our key goals is to further expand our partner network. Past projects have shown that by teaming up with partners, we can fine-tune our solutions to fit customer needs even better. This network also gives us the flexibility to scale quickly for new use cases, even when the use case change s. Our RTLS solutions are already hybrid and tech-agnostic, making them perfect for integration with new partners. Another big focus is improving interoperability with other platforms. By standardizing, we can ensure that systems like hospital information systems, manufacturing execution systems, or ERP software can communicate seamlessly with our RTLS—without expensive programming or the risk of data loss. We also have big plans for indoor navigation. First off, we want to give it a fresh look. Plus, we’re working on an interlogistics solution for tracking vehicles like trucks in real-time worldwide. We’re still in the development and testing phase, but the potential is huge. There’s a lot to do, and I’m excited about it!

From your experience, is RTLS a must-have or a luxury?

Kévin Pinsard: Definitely a must-have. Look at industries like manufacturing and logistics. Digitalization is moving fast, and if you’re not embracing Industry 4.0, smart warehouses, or automation, you’re going to fall behind. Asset-tracking solutions are key to optimizing and digitizing processes, cutting costs, and improving worker safety. Often, existing infrastructure can be reused cost-effectively. In indoor navigation, a custom app that combines navigation with point-of-interest search and personalized offers can really enhance the user experience. Think about guests on a cruise ship or visitors at large events. An easy-to-use navigation tool positively impacts the user journey, and interactive features can boost customer engagement. To paint a picture: the ability to easily find the next restaurant, kiosk, or restroom, while receiving updates on happy hours or special deals, makes for happier users—guests and staff alike.

Speaking of employees, you believe RTLS can help ease the burden on staff long-term?

Kévin Pinsard: Absolutely, especially in industries facing staff shortages. Take healthcare, for example. The shortage of skilled workers has been an issue for a while. When nurses spend their already limited time searching for medical equipment in a hospital, it takes away from their more productive work with patients. Real-time tracking via an app can save a lot of search time and, by the way, save money. Often, more equipment is bought than necessary because the actual usage of equipment is hard to measure without concrete data.

Final question: Where can people meet you in the coming months?

Kévin Pinsard: The next opportunity will be at our booth at the SPS trade fair in Nuremberg in November. We’ve been attending regularly in recent years, and it was a no-brainer that we’d be back again this year in our home region of Franconia. It’s always a great opportunity to meet with partners, customers, and anyone interested in what we’re doing. If November feels too far away, you can always book a meeting through our website or swing by our office in Bamberg for a coffee – or Rauchbier – and a chat.

Thank you for your time!