CAMPBELL, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--ChargePoint, the world’s leading electric vehicle (EV) charging network, today announced executive hires in the Engineering, Product, and Sales teams as the company embarks on the most aggressive growth period in its history. The move comes as ChargePoint further deepens its portfolio and scales its operations as the mobility market swiftly moves to fleets and mass electrification of transportation. The executive appointments come on the heels of ChargePoint’s commitment to 2.5 million places to charge by 2025, its largest commitment to date and a fifty-fold increase from its network today.
Eric Sidle, Senior Vice President of Engineering; Bill Loewenthal, Senior Vice President of Product; and Michael Hughes, Chief Commercial and Revenue Officer round out recent executive hires including the appointment of Rex Jackson as Chief Financial Officer in July. All new appointments are effective immediately.
“We’ve reached the tipping point for electric mobility and this unstoppable train shows no signs of slowing. It’s no longer a matter of if, but when mass electrification of transportation will be upon us and ChargePoint is scaling now to prepare for the onslaught of new models,” said Pasquale Romano, President and CEO, ChargePoint. “The appointments of Eric, Bill and Michael come at a pivotal time for the market. Each leader not only brings a broad range of successes that will help position us for long-term growth, but their experience will pay dividends as we continue to expand and invest for the revolutionary transition to electric mobility that is now well underway.”
Engineering
Eric Sidle joins ChargePoint in the newly created position of Senior Vice President of Engineering. As the market grows, the need to scale the company’s engineering operation is more important than ever. In this role, Eric will lead and continue to grow all aspects of ChargePoint’s Engineering organization and the company’s global R&D laboratories, a team which has already experienced double-digit growth in recent years.
With more than twenty years of experience, Sidle brings with him a diverse resume reflecting a wide range of companies and leadership positions. Prior to ChargePoint, Sidle served as Senior Director of Autonomous Driving Hardware at electric vehicle manufacturer NIO, where he led several teams responsible for the design and production of hardware, manufacturing and validation as well as fleet operations. Before NIO, he held leadership positions at Apple, Hewlett Packard, and Raytheon. Sidle holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
“This is an exciting time for transportation and it’s abundantly clear that the shift to electrification is inevitable,” said Eric Sidle, Senior Vice President, Engineering, ChargePoint, Inc. “ChargePoint has established itself as a leader in e-mobility and I’m excited to join this outstanding team to not only help it scale as the company’s portfolio expands, but to ensure that we continue to innovate as the industry matures.”
Product
Bill Loewenthal has been appointed to the newly created position of Senior Vice President of Product. Delivering the right portfolio of products and services is key for any company establishing itself in an emerging market while also preparing for significant growth in the years to come. Loewenthal will be responsible for managing the company’s portfolio strategy, product management, user experience, and documentation teams globally.
Loewenthal brings decades of experience with a winning track record in a variety of industries including telecom, internet, consumer electronics and media. With deep experience in general management and product leadership, Loewenthal most recently served as Vice President, Product Portfolio at Avaya. Prior, he held leadership positions at Plantronics, ReplayTV, Mitsubishi Electric and several startups. Loewenthal holds a Bachelor of Science from San Jose State University.
“The transformation of mobility will forever change the way people move around the world, and ChargePoint is playing a pivotal role in that change,” said Bill Loewenthal, Senior Vice President, Product, ChargePoint, Inc. “ChargePoint has a tremendous portfolio of solutions that have ushered in the electrification of passenger vehicles. I’m eager to work with the team at ChargePoint to continue to scale as fleets and mass electrification take hold.”
Sales
Michael Hughes joins ChargePoint in the newly created position of Chief Commercial and Revenue Officer. The dramatic increase in demand for electric vehicles and technologies to support their adoption across categories including passenger vehicles, buses and trucks has created a noteworthy market opportunity and ChargePoint is scaling its operations to address it. Hughes will lead all aspects of ChargePoint’s sales organization and spearhead the company’s efforts to deepen relationships across the mobility ecosystem.
Hughes brings decades of executive experience, most recently serving as Senior Vice President of Worldwide Sales and Services at Barracuda Networks, where he scaled his organization to grow revenue to $500 million annually through their IPO. Prior, Hughes held positions at companies including Asempra Technologies, McDATA Corporation, and Invio Software. Hughes holds a Bachelor of Science in Marketing from Miami University and a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Michigan.
“No category will change more than mobility in the coming decades and this shift creates an opportunity for companies to innovate and compete,” said Michael Hughes, Chief Commercial and Revenue Officer, ChargePoint, Inc. “I’ve spent my career helping companies scale in emerging markets and I’m eager to leverage my experience to help ChargePoint solidify its leadership position in the market while building model for long term success.”
These strategic appointments come on the heels of ChargePoint’s commitment to 2.5 million commercial places to charge by 2025. An established industry leader with more than 10 years in operation, the company has raised nearly $300 million in funding to date and delivers more than one million charging sessions each month. Today, a driver plugs into the ChargePoint network about every two seconds, and on average, more than 1,100 new places to charge are added every month. As the electric mobility space continues to heat up, ChargePoint continues to expand its operations and team to prepare for the mass adoption of electrified transportation.
About ChargePoint
ChargePoint is the leading electric vehicle (EV) charging network in the world, with charging solutions in every category EV drivers charge, at home, work, around town and on the road. With more than 54,000 independently owned public and semi-public charging spots and thousands of customers (businesses, cities, agencies and service providers), ChargePoint is the only charging technology company on the market that designs, develops and manufactures hardware and software solutions across every use case. Leading EV hardware makers and other partners rely on the ChargePoint network to make charging station details available in mobile apps, online and in navigation systems for popular EVs. ChargePoint drivers have completed more than 43 million charging sessions, saving upwards of 44 million gallons of gasoline and driving more than a billion gas-free miles on dispensed energy. For more information, visit www.chargepoint.com or contact the Global Press Office at media@chargepoint.com or European Press Office at europepressoffice@chargepoint.com.
