ABB E-mobility Holding AG shareholders have approved all the proposals of the company’s Board of Directors at its 2023 Annual General Meeting, which was held in Zurich, Switzerland, today. The meeting was attended by representatives from ABB, which retains a majority shareholding in ABB E-mobility of approximately 80 percent, alongside representatives from six[1] other shareholders announced as part of two rounds of a pre-IPO private placement.
Michael Halbherr was reconfirmed as Chairman of the company’s Board of Directors. Meanwhile, ABB Board representatives: Morten Wierod (President of Electrification business area), Carolina Granat (Chief Human Resources Officer), and Andreas Wenzel (Head of Strategy and M&A), alongside three independent Board members for ABB E-mobility: Håkan Samuelsson, Peter Molengraaf and Richard Silén were re-elected for another term. Annette Köhler did not stand for re-election. With these re-elections, four out of seven ABB E-mobility board members are independent.
As part of its strategy to further increase customer focus, ABB E-mobility will drive growth in the three customer-centric business lines of public, transit & fleet and home & work. The company will accelerate strategic investments in market leading hardware and software platforms, while continuing to scale its global operations and focus on customer experience. Supporting this strategy evolution, changes in the company’s leadership were also announced.
The current CEO, Frank Mühlon will transition into the role of Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) with immediate effect, while Michael Halbherr, with his strong background in software and high-tech industries, will take on the role of Executive Chairman and interim-CEO. Furthermore, two new members were appointed to the ABB E-mobility Executive Committee: Daniel Alarcon as Chief Digital Officer (CDO) and Francesco Mennucci as Chief Operations Officer (COO).
Halbherr commented: “On behalf of the Board of Directors, I would like to thank Frank for his dedication in successfully bringing ABB E-mobility to where it is today, having recently attracted funding from investors who share our belief in the company’s long-term vision. We are also delighted that he will continue to play a key role in our growth story. The Executive Committee will drive the company's continued growth, focusing on customer satisfaction and deepening its hardware and software capabilities to ensure technology leadership in our customer-facing business lines.”
The strategy and leadership evolution of ABB E-mobility, including the above-mentioned changes, are fully supported by ABB. As of the first quarter 2023 and given the continued plan for an initial public offering in the future, the ABB E-mobility division is no longer reported as part of the Business Area Electrification, but as a sub-segment in Corporate and other at ABB.
Daniel Alarcon brings a strong emphasis on digital transformation and embedded software, with a successful track record in both start-ups and large corporations including Motorola, Nokia, HERE Technologies, AirMap and Trafi. Meanwhile, Francesco Mennucci has extensive experience in operational transformation, quality, supply chain management and service excellence gained in a variety of roles for ABB, including overseeing the global integration of GE Industrial Solutions.
Michael Halbherr has worked in a variety of leadership roles in the software and tech space including navigation pioneer gate5, Nokia and HERE Technologies. He is currently a founder, investor and Board member of several start-up technology companies, as well as a Board member of Vontobel Holding and Zurich Insurance Group of Switzerland.
ABB E-mobility is enabling zero-emission mobility as a global leader in electric vehicle (EV) charging solutions for a more sustainable and resource-efficient future. We are a partner of choice for the world’s biggest EV OEMs and nation-wide EV charging network operators, offering the widest portfolio of EV charging solutions from smart chargers for the home to high-power chargers for the highway stations of the future, solutions for the electrification of fleets and charging for electric buses and trucks. With ~1,500 employees around the world, ABB E-mobility has sold more than one million EV chargers across more than 85 markets, including over 50,000 DC fast chargers.
[1] General Atlantic’s BeyondNetZero, GIC, Interogo Holding, moyreal holding ag, Just Climate and Porsche SE
