A
new leadership team has been appointed to leverage the legacy manufacturing and
innovation capabilities of Ashok Leyland and Optare, while applying
cutting-edge technologies to provide customers with industry-leading low cost
of ownership and net zero emissions transport solutions globally.
Dr
Andy Palmer has been appointed as Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive
Officer from July 1, 2021, supported by an experienced team of experts to
deliver the company’s ambitions to be a leader in urban e-mobility. This
includes the appointment of Nitin Seth as Chief Operating Officer, Sarwant
Singh Saini as Chief Planning Officer and Roger Blakey as Chief Technical
Officer. Further Leadership appointments
will be announced shortly.
Andy Palmer begins his automotive career at age 16
Palmer
started his professional career in 1979 aged 16, as an apprentice at Automotive
Products Limited (UK). After six years with Austin Rover, he joined Nissan in
1991 and went on to a 24-year career culminating as Chief Planning Officer.
In
2012, Palmer was named the automotive industry's most influential British
executive by Auto Express, and in 2013, the world's third most influential
Chief Marketing Officer by the CMO Influence Study, conducted by marketing firm
Appinions for Forbes magazine.
Palmer
was appointed Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in the
2014 New Year Honours for services to the British automotive industry.
In
2014 Palmer was appointed as Aston Martin’s new CEO. At that time, Dr Palmer, a
British-born chartered engineer, chartered manager and businessman had with him
35 years of automotive industry experience,
In
May 2020, the Board of Aston Martin Lagonda Global Holdings plc announced that
Dr Andy Palmer would be step[ping step down as President and Group Chief
Executive of the company, paving the way for Tobias Moers to take over as the
new Chief Executive Officer of Aston Martin.
Switch has big dreams
With
the combined expertise of its teams in UK and India, Switch will build on its
experience of having more than 280 electric vehicles in service with over 26
million miles covered. The company’s potential has been enhanced through
technological collaboration with partners including Siemens to deliver
e-mobility solutions that already offer the lowest Total Cost of Ownership for
CV customers in India. As part of its ramp-up, Switch has already signed customer
agreements with leading logistic operators and secured orders fo ra 2000-strong
e-LCV fleet with customer trials starting this month.
Dheeraj Hinduja, Chairman of Switch
Mobility, said, “Hinduja Group is focused on providing the needed thrust to
our on-going initiatives in the rapidly growing zero carbon mobility sector.
This is orchestrated through combining the advanced engineering and development
skills in the U.K and India to address the demand in global markets. I am
confident that with Andy Palmer at the helm, we will accelerate our vision to
be at the forefront in this field soon.”
Dr. Andy Palmer, Executive Vice Chairman
and CEO and of Switch Mobility, commented, “Switch holds a unique position
in an increasingly competitive marketplace with our EV commercial vehicles
already clocking millions of miles in service. We embrace the ethos of a
start-up and enjoy the legacies of intellectual property, borne from more than
a decade of technical expertise and engineering experience, that is already
revenue-generating and delivering for our customers. I’m delighted to have
become part of the Executive Leadership team and believe we have all the
required ingredients to become a leading global e-bus and e-truck player, trail-blazing
the way to zero-carbon public transport.”
Switch
Mobility is a next-generation electric bus and light commercial vehicle company
with the mission to enrich lives through green mobility. Formed in 2020 as a
mature start-up, Switch was forged from the innovative EV elements of Ashok
Leyland, the third largest bus and LCV OEM in the world, and Optare, the UK bus
manufacturer with over a century of expertise in using the latest technologies
in bus design. In 2014, Switch introduced the first British built, pure
electric buses to London’s roads and since then has 280 EVs already on the
road, clocking up over 26 million electric miles in developed and developing
markets.
With
dedicated teams at sites in Leeds, UK and Chennai (India), our market-leading
vehicles are sold in over 46 countries around the globe and combine the best of
British and Indian design, technology and engineering to create unique
products. Capitalising on our demonstrable experience and proven expertise in
lightest weight architecture, zero emissions technologies, data analytics and
software, and not forgetting customer service, Switch Mobility aims to be the
commercial EV provider and employer of choice in the industry.