FREENOW General Manager Mariusz Zabrocki to step down after over five years at the helm
Updated: Jul 3
Mariusz Zabrocki, the General Manager of FREENOW, recently announced on LinkedIn that he is stepping down from his role.
Zabrocki reflected on his five-and-a-half-year tenure, marking it as a period filled with significant change, achievements and transformative experiences.
In a LinkedIn post, Zabrocki runs through the journey beginning with the launch of Kapten UK in May 2019, which quickly became one of the most notable ride-hailing debuts in Europe. Within the second week, it became the most downloaded app in the UK, amassing over a million users, 10,000 drivers, and 80 employees within a few months.
Navigating the merger of FREENOW and Kapten during the challenging pandemic environment in 2020 was another milestone. By 2021-2023, Zabrocki and his team revitalised FREENOW’s black taxi offering. They transformed it from a loss-making, declining business to the No.1 player in London, achieving record revenues and securing 81% of all London's LEVC black cab drivers on the platform.
Under Zabrocki’s leadership, FREENOW introduced a pioneering choice of employment status for drivers in October 2023, allowing them to choose between worker and self-employed status.
Zabrocki said on LinkedIn: “My wild 5.5-year journey as General Manager at Kapten and FREENOW is about to end. I'm filled with gratitude for all the huge opportunities and unique experiences I've had.
“The Kapten UK launch in May 2019 was one of the biggest ride-hailing launches ever in Europe. We were the most downloaded app in the UK in the 2nd week of the launch. We had 1m+ users, 10k+ drivers, 80 employees within months from launch!
“In 2020 we navigated the merger between FREENOW and Kapten in a challenging pandemic environment. In 2021-2023 we turned around the black cab business: from loss making, declining London’s No 2 player who lost 17% of drivers after failed driver commission increase, to No 1 position, all time high revenue and 81% of all London’s LEVC black cab drivers on the platform.
“We are the only top-4 PHV player who never faced TfL licensing action and became the voice of the black cab trade more than any other operator in the sector. We launched Europe's first choice of employment status for drivers, who could choose between worker and self-employed status in October 2023. We went from negative margins to highly positive ones for both fleets. I truly believe that we had a big impact on thousands of passengers and drivers.
“I'm especially proud of the stellar team we've built in the UK, many of whom moved on to more senior roles inside and outside of FREENOW. I'll be cheering you on from the sidelines. I'll always cherish the memories and friendships I've made during my time here. Kapten and FREENOW will always hold a special place in my heart.”
FREENOW’s replacement for Zabrocki as General Manager has not been announced yet.
