Nikola has hired a new chief operating officer to lead the company's engineering, product and manufacturing teams.
Mary Chan will start her new role Oct. 9. She is a former president of the global connected consumer group at General Motors and a former senior vice president at Dell.
"My career has been dedicated to pioneering smart transportation and wireless communications across automotive, telecommunications and high-tech industries," Chan said in a written statement. "Joining Nikola represents the culmination of this journey, and I'm excited to be part of the team that will drive trucking to a zero-emissions future, encompassing trucking products, customer solutions and the corresponding energy infrastructure."
At GM, Chan led the automaker's launch of 4G LTE connectivity across brands in the U.S., China, Europe and Mexico. She has been named the "Top Woman in Wireless" by Fierce Wireless, an industry news outlet. She also worked as a managing partner at VectoIQ, which took Nikola public through a special purpose acquisition company in 2020.
Chan comes to Nikola at a key time. The company is being led by a new CEO, Steve Girsky, and is working through a recall impacting all 209 of its battery-electric vehicles on the road.
Nikola said last week that the recall will not impact the delivery of its hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, slated to begin this month.
Like many electric vehicle startups, Nikola is running low on cash. The company passed a shareholder proposal over the summer to increase its authorized shares, a fundraising tool to back its hydrogen fuel cell truck and a hydrogen production project to support the vehicle.
In this episode of the Ally All Ears podcast, host Emma Hancock interviews Kelly Olson, Senior Director of Operations for SmartAuction at Ally Financial, about the importance of quality control in online wholesale auctions. Olson discusses advancements in online auction platforms, highlighting the importance of detailed condition reports, AI technology for damage detection, and the evolving incorporation of electric vehicle information, all aimed at building trust and reliability for dealers purchasing pre-owned inventory.
As of June 30, the company had six months' worth of cash remaining.
