David Gandini
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Dave is a serial entrepreneur and has spent his career identifying and seizing opportunities in telecommunications, technology, software and automated packaging. In his role at SOBR Safe, he is responsible for capital creation, new business acquisition, business strategy & development and partnership revenue generation.
Dave most recently served as President of IPS Denver, a bank card personalization and packaging entity, where he transformed the company into the leader in the US secured gift market space – growing the company from concept to $46 million in revenue. IPS was acquired by a public company in 2014. Prior to his engagement at IPS, Dave was the COO at First World Communications, a major US internet and Data Center provider, and participated in its successful IPO in 2000, raising over $250 million. Previously, Dave founded Pace Network Services, providing carrier SS7 signaling to US long distance providers and facilitated a successful exit to ICG Communications. He also co-founded Detroit-based Digital Signal in the fiber optic long haul market sector, where he executed a successful exit to SP Telecom.
Dave is a father of three boys, and resides with his wife in Denver, Colorado. He graduated from Michigan State University with a degree in Telecommunications. He was a scholarship NCAA Division I Hockey player, and was a member of the US Junior National Team and a US Junior All-American.
Christopher Whitaker
Chief Financial Officer
Prior to his appointment as Chief Financial Officer, Mr. Whitaker served as the Company’s Vice President of Finance and Accounting since February 2022. Mr. Whitaker has held various executive finance positions with large public multi-national corporations and small entrepreneurial companies throughout a progressive 30-year career that began with KPMG LLP in Denver, Colorado. Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Whitaker served as President - Americas and Vice President of Finance and Administration from February 2020 through June 2021 for North and South American operations with public, multinational corporation Elixinol, Inc. Through advancing executive roles, his responsibilities at Elixinol, Inc. included management of all financial and accounting operations, and leading marketing, sales, consumer product goods development, information technology, and human resource functions. Prior to Elixinol, Inc., Mr. Whitaker served as the Managing Director of AEGIS Financial Consulting, LLC, from January 2015 through January 2020, leading a team of consultants in providing fractional CFO and financial consulting services to a wide variety of businesses in the public and private sectors.
Mr. Whitaker has been a Certified Public Accountant since 2014. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from the Metropolitan State University of Denver in December 1999.
Scott Bennett
Executive Vice President, Business Operations
With more than 20 years as a senior executive in technology-driven enterprises, Scott is uniquely qualified to lead all aspects of an emerging growth public company, with expertise across manufacturing process engineering, database architecture, interface programming and more.
Prior to joining SOBRsafe, Scott co-founded cybersecurity firm GBprotect, and served as its COO until its successful sale to Nuspire. In addition to his technical contributions to GBprotect, Scott was also responsible for key business functions such as quality assurance, inventory management and customer service. Scott previously served as CTO/CISO of fintech businesses Catalyst Card Company and Integrated Printing Solutions.
Scott earned his Bachelor’s degree in Telecommunications Management from Michigan State University.