Meet Gillian Zoss: Leading Zeelo's Growth on the West Coast

Zeelo is expanding on the West Coast, and we've brought in someone who knows the region's employee transportation landscape better than almost anyone to lead it. Gillian Zoss has joined us as Director of Business Development. She brings more than 15 years in the industry, including 11 years at WeDriveU, where she rose to Vice President of Business Development. She'll be working with both employers and private schools across the region.

Over that time, Gillian has partnered with some of the leading employers in the Bay Area and across California, Oregon and Washington. She has helped them build shuttle programs that get their people to work reliably, day in and day out. Before that, she spent five years at Creative Bus Sales in Hayward, so she knows the industry from the vehicle up.

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A new way of doing things

Most organizations that move people to work or school end up buying two things: a transportation operator to run the buses, and a software provider to plan routes and track vehicles. Between them sits the "missing middle": the day-to-day management of the program, and accountability for whether it delivers. Too often, nobody owns the outcome.

That's the gap Zeelo was built to close. It brings Technology, Management and Transportation together under one partner, with a single point of accountability and incentives aligned to the customer's success. For employers, that means a commute that supports hiring, retention and return-to-office. For private schools, it means safe, reliable journeys that reach more families. For riders, it means a trip that is effortless, safe and predictable. Trusted, every trip.

That's the alternative Gillian will be bringing to employers and schools across the Bay Area, California, Oregon and Washington.

Q&A with Gillian

We sat down with Gillian to talk about why she joined, and what she's focused on next.

You've spent most of your career in transportation. What keeps you in it?

"I've seen firsthand how much reliable transportation matters, both to businesses and to the employees who keep them running. What keeps me energized is the problem solving behind it. No two programs are alike, and I love working with partners to figure out what they're trying to achieve, and then building something that gets them there. Seeing a partner hit their goals, and knowing their employees have a better way to get to work, never gets old."

Why Zeelo, and why now?

"It's an exciting time to be joining the team. Zeelo brings smart technology, data-driven route optimization and a fully managed service together in one place. That means employers get one partner who is accountable for the whole program, not just the buses. Zeelo is changing how organizations think about managed transportation, and that's something I want to be a part of."

What are West Coast employers and schools asking for right now?

"What everyone seems to be looking for right now is flexibility. Fuel costs are rising, competition for talent is tight, and return-to-office mandates are bringing more people back to daily commuting. Companies want to incentivize workers and offer alternatives that make the commute easier. Zeelo delivers that flexibility. We can easily adjust vehicle sizes, capacity and routes as demand changes, keeping every program on budget and optimized for a better return on investment."

What does success look like in your first year?

"I want to help grow Zeelo's presence in the Bay Area and across the West Coast by building meaningful partnerships that meet goals and expectations. Ultimately, it's about working with organizations to turn transportation challenges into business opportunities."

Welcome to the team, Gillian. If you're an employer or a private school on the West Coast thinking about how transportation could support hiring, retention, return-to-office or enrollment, get in touch with Gillian and the team.