Proterra, a company that specializes in heavy-duty vehicle electrification, says the board of directors has appointed current Chairman Jack Allen as chairman and CEO. Ryan Popple, Proterra’s CEO since 2014, was named executive director.
Proterra began planning for this transition in January, and the board voted earlier this month on Allen’s appointment.
Before joining Proterra as chairman in 2017, Allen spent more than 30 years at Navistar International, the global truck and bus company, where he most recently served as COO. As CEO, Allen will use his operational experience to guide Proterra’s continuing growth, including scaling operations, supply chain and manufacturing capability to meet the growing demand for zero-emission vehicles.
Under Popple’s leadership, Proterra has grown from a few customers to more than 120 customers in North America. During his tenure, Popple introduced a new Catalyst vehicle platform and heavy-duty charging systems. In 2017, Proterra broke the world record for the longest distance ever traveled by an electric vehicle (EV) on a single charge, traveling 1,101 miles.
Popple also led the introduction of Proterra’s EV platform into adjacent vehicle markets, including electric school buses, coach buses and delivery truck chassis.
In his new role, Popple will focus his attention on Proterra’s proprietary technology. He will report directly to Allen.
Photo: Jack Allen, chairman and CEO of Proterra
