Britishvolt recruits Ford veteran as global boss

Britishvolt has hired veteran Ford executive Graham Hoare as president of its global operations, the company said.

Hoare's appointment comes after the battery-cell maker recruited the U.S. automaker's former European vice president of product development, Joe Bakaj, as an advisor in March.

Britishvolt has also hired Nick Spencer, a former BMW and Jaguar Land Rover executive to join Bakaj on its advisory board.

Hoare's title of president of global operations is newly created and reflects Britishvolt's global ambitions.

Hoare retired from Ford at the end of April after 19 years at the company, finishing his career as chairman of the company's UK's operations. In 2018, he was tasked with overseeing Ford's cost-cutting program in the UK.

Prior to that Hoare was Ford's global director of vehicle evaluation and verification, based in the UK and he also held the job of director of powertrain research and advance engineering, based in Dearborn, in the U.S.

Hoare's appointment to Britishvolt, starting June 1, strengthens the startup's executive team as it searches for customers for its battery cells.

The company has said it will begin construction of its new cell plant in Blyth, north east England, later this year, with production of battery cells slated to begin at the end of 2023.

The company has announced it wants to build a second plant in Canada.

"Graham brings significant and wide-reaching industry experience to Britishvolt, further enhancing the expertise of our global leadership team," CEO Orral Nadjari said.

Nadjari recently he said was looking to finance Britishvolt's expansion by listing the company in the U.S. through a merger with a special purpose acquisition company, or SPAC.