John Penney

CoMotion Names John Penney as Global Head of Growth & Business Development

CoMotion Press Release — April 10, 2025

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Paris, France — April 10, 2025 -- CoMotion, the world's leading platform for sustainable urban mobility solutions, today announced John Penney as its new Global Head of Growth and Business Development. This strategic appointment follows the organization's successful expansion with landmark conferences in Miami, Los Angeles, and the Monaco Hydrogen Forum.

With over 20 years of executive experience driving transformative business models across sustainability and media sectors, Penney brings proven expertise in creating financially rigorous growth strategies that have delivered measurable market impact. His leadership portfolio includes executive roles at 20th Century Fox, Starz, Lionsgate, HBO, Viacom, and IMG.

"John understands both the complexity of the global mobility ecosystem and the financial imperatives that drive market transformation," said John Rossant, Founder and CEO of CoMotion. "His strategic vision is critically important as CoMotion expands into high-growth regions including the Middle East and Asia."

"The mobility sector stands at a pivotal inflection point where technology, sustainability, and market forces are converging to create unprecedented value creation opportunities," said Penney. "CoMotion has built an unparalleled platform connecting industry leaders, policymakers, startups, and academic institutions to accelerate the transition to technologically advanced, sustainable transportation systems that deliver measurable ROI for all stakeholders. I'm excited to work with the CoMotion leadership team to help transform how we move people, goods, and ideas."

Penney also serves as Chief Growth Officer at NextGen Foundry, where he advises global enterprises including The Volvo Group and Bosch NA on business model innovation. He previously served as Growth and Strategy Advisor to Pebble, an advanced mobility company at the intersection of electric vehicles, smart homes, and sustainable energy.

At Starz, Penney spearheaded the first streaming service in the Middle East, securing $30M+ in private equity capital. As Chief Strategy Officer, he pioneered direct-to-consumer digital businesses that achieved $1 billion in annual revenues within four years of launch.

Penney is an Executive Board Member of Sustain SoCal, a cleantech trade association. He holds an MBA from UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business, an MPA from Columbia University, and a BA from Wesleyan University.

About CoMotion

CoMotion connects the stakeholders driving the Mobility Revolution through world-class events, advisory services, and media platforms. The organization partners with leading companies and cities at the forefront of mobility innovation.