SBF 70 years logo
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

Zonar Announces New CEO, Other Executive Hires

Ian McKerlich will serve as Zonar’s new president and CEO, replacing Brett Brinton, who remains with the organization as a strategic advisor. The company also makes two new key technology hires.

December 6, 2016
Zonar Announces New CEO, Other Executive Hires

Ian McKerlich will serve as Zonar’s new president and CEO.

2 min to read


Ian McKerlich will serve as Zonar’s new president and CEO.

SEATTLE — Zonar, a supplier of smart fleet management technology, announced that Ian McKerlich has taken over as president and CEO.

McKerlich, who had been serving as president at Zonar, succeeds Brett Brinton in the CEO role as part of a planned leadership transition resulting from the majority investment stake in Zonar by Continental AG. Brinton remains with the organization as a strategic advisor.

“The entire team at Zonar is focused on continued innovation and modernization of connected intelligence solutions for commercial transportation so that we meet fleets’ evolving safety, efficiency, and compliance needs,” McKerlich said. “With an expanding leadership team and support from Continental AG, we’ve dramatically improved our ability to do just that.”

In addition to McKerlich’s new role, Zonar has promoted technology industry veteran Larry Jordan to senior vice president of product management. Jordan is responsible for managing all Zonar products across their lifecycle. One example is the Zonar Connect tablet and platform announced in October, which is designed to help commercial fleet managers take greater control of their operations.

Meanwhile, Zonar has also made key technology hires: Arun Jacob has been selected as vice president of software development and Chad Maglaque has been tapped for vice president of program and partner management.

Jacob joins Zonar as a seasoned technology executive who has built and led the delivery of products and services at companies including Hewlett-Packard, Walt Disney Co., Evri.com, Vulcan, and others.  At Zonar, Jacob will be in charge of software development, where he will lead engineering teams to deliver Zonar applications and application programming interfaces (APIs).

Maglaque joins Zonar as a product and technology leader with over 20 years of experience managing large-scale products and services for startups and Fortune 100 companies, including Apple, Microsoft, Walmart Labs, Macy's, and internet-pioneer RealNetworks.  Maglaque will be responsible for program management, product delivery, and managing the company’s partner programs.

“Adding experienced leaders such as Chad and Arun will improve our ability to quickly deliver Zonar products to customers and work with partners and application developers to make sure we meet all of their fleet management technology needs,” McKerlich said.

More Management

The Route thumbnail with school bus fleet logo
SponsoredMarch 19, 2026

All About Cooperative Purchasing: A Guide for School Transportation Pros

Stop bidding everything and try a simpler way. Here's how cooperative purchasing can streamline purchases while maintaining compliance. Sourcewell breaks down the process in this episode of The Route, sponsored by IC Bus.

Read More →
Yellow school bus on road with “Company Update” graphic and EverDriven logo announcing school bus routing services
Managementby News/Media ReleaseMarch 19, 2026

EverDriven Launches New School Bus Routing Services

The alternative transportation company expands its services to traditional yellow buses with the launch of a new division focused on helping school districts optimize their routes.

Read More →
Joshua Roberts of First Student Inc. recognized as a 2026 School Bus Fleet Trailblazers winner, shown in a headshot with the School Bus Fleet Trailblazers award graphic.
Managementby Elora HaynesMarch 18, 2026

2026 Trailblazer: Joshua Roberts of First Student

Roberts, 35, serves as the lead IT application engineer for vehicle electrification at First Student, where he helps shape scalable, real-world EV infrastructure to support student transportation.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Quavion Swazer of Puyallup School District recognized as a 2026 School Bus Fleet Trailblazers winner, pictured in a headshot with the Trailblazers award graphic.
Managementby Elora HaynesMarch 18, 2026

2026 Trailblazer: Quavion Swazer of Puyallup School District

Swazer, 29, serves as director of transportation at Puyallup School District, where he champions student wellbeing and inspires the next generation of industry leaders.

Read More →
Katia Dubas of IMMI recognized as a 2026 School Bus Fleet Trailblazers winner, shown in a headshot alongside the Trailblazers award graphic.
Managementby Elora HaynesMarch 18, 2026

2026 Trailblazer: Katia Dubas of IMMI

Dubas, 38, serves as sales manager and safety advocate at IMMI, where she advances school bus occupant protection through industry education, OEM collaboration, and proactive safety policy efforts.

Read More →
Eric Kramlick of TransPar Group recognized as a 2026 School Bus Fleet Trailblazers winner, shown in a headshot alongside the Trailblazers award graphic.
Managementby Amanda HuggettMarch 18, 2026

2026 Trailblazer: Eric Kramlick of TransPar

Kramlick, 30, runs operations for TransPar in Hawaii, where he also showed dedication while helping Maui recover from the recent wildfires.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Jonquez Moore of Little Elm ISD recognized as a 2026 School Bus Fleet Trailblazers winner, shown in a headshot with the School Bus Fleet Trailblazers award graphic.
Managementby Amanda HuggettMarch 18, 2026

2026 Trailblazer: Jonquez Moore of Little Elm ISD

Moore, 32, grew up around the school bus, leading him to the classroom and eventually inspiring high-performing teams while bringing operations in house (twice).

Read More →
Joshua Baran of Odyssey Charter School recognized as a 2026 School Bus Fleet Trailblazers winner, pictured in a headshot next to the Trailblazers award graphic.
Managementby Elora HaynesMarch 18, 2026

2026 Trailblazer: Joshua Baran of Odyssey Charter School

Baran, 38, serves as transportation supervisor at Odyssey Charter School in Delaware, where he leads daily operations with a focus on safety and professional growth.

Read More →
Tyler Maybee of Denver Public Schools recognized as a 2026 School Bus Fleet Trailblazers winner, shown in a headshot with the U.S. Capitol in the background and the Trailblazers award graphic.
Managementby Elora HaynesMarch 18, 2026

2026 Trailblazer: Tyler Maybee of Denver Public Schools

Maybee, 36, leads transportation operations for Denver Public Schools, where he is advancing equity, efficiency, and cross-department collaboration to improve student access.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Lexi Higgins of Truckers Against Trafficking recognized as a 2026 School Bus Fleet Trailblazers winner, pictured in a headshot with the Trailblazers award graphic.
Managementby Elora HaynesMarch 18, 2026

2026 Trailblazer: Lexi Higgins of TAT

Higgins, 38, serves as director of industry engagement at TAT (Truckers Against Trafficking), where she equips school transportation professionals with the tools to recognize and report human trafficking.

Read More →