Mark Musson Joins Nightjar to Lead Scale-Up and Global Impact

July 2025 — Nightjar, the AI-powered conservation technology company behind TrailGuard, today announced the appointment of Mark Musson as Chief Executive Officer. Mark joins Nightjar to lead the company into its next phase of growth, building on strong early momentum to transform TrailGuard from a field-tested detection system into a fully scalable intelligence platform for conservation and remote monitoring and security.

Mark brings over two decades of experience in deep tech, data systems, and applied AI. He previously founded Humn.ai, the first real-time, exposure-based pricing platform for commercial motor fleets. Mark grew the company from an idea in his head to acquisition by AON over 6 years. Earlier in his career, Mark led AI, cloud, and data transformations at Experian, HSBC, and J.P. Morgan, with a focus on turning prototypes into high-integrity, compliant products.

Raised on a farm in South Africa’s Western Cape, Mark also brings a deep personal connection to Nightjar’s mission. His early experience restoring native fynbos ecosystems gives him firsthand understanding of the field realities behind conservation technology.

Mark succeeds Dr. Kalkidan Smith, who served as Interim CEO. We thank Kalkidan for her steady leadership through a critical phase of operational readiness and growth. She continues in her role as Nightjar’s Chief Financial Officer.

“Mark brings the stabilise-build-scale playbook Nightjar needs,” said Stephen D’Esposito, Chair of Nightjar and President of RESOLVE, Nightjar’s founding partner. “His arrival strengthens our team at a moment of significant momentum and growing global need for conservation technology. We see growing demand for AI-enabled remote sensing solutions, Mark will lead our efforts to meet that demand from conservation and infrastructure partners”

As CEO, Mark’s early priorities include strengthening the component supply chain, supporting deployment partners, and regularizing Nightjar’s recurring-revenue model to ensure TrailGuard’s long-term sustainability and impact. He is based in London and works closely with Nightjar’s distributed engineering, design, and operations teams.

“After years building data-driven platforms for finance and mobility,” said Mark. “I felt a pull to come home—to use the same skills to nurture the landscapes that shaped me. Nightjar sits at the perfect intersection of purpose and technology: a practitioner-led system that gives rangers, researchers, and communities the real-time intelligence they need to let ecosystems heal and thrive. I’m honoured to join the team as we scale TrailGuard from an ingenious device into a global conservation network.”

Nightjar launched its new brand and platform earlier this month, marking a major milestone in our growth. Building on that momentum, Mark’s appointment signals the next chapter in our evolution—from pilot to platform, and from breakthrough technology to global conservation and remote site infrastructure.

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