Britishvolt founder and CEO steps down, passing reins to former Ford chairman
The founder and CEO of battery technology giant Britishvolt has stepped down from the role, handing over the reins to deputy CEO and former Ford chairman Dr Grahan Hoare OBE.
Orral Nadjari, who had held the position since the company’s inception in 2019, said in a statement today: “Although it was a difficult decision for me to step away from the operational management of the company, now is the right time for me to pass the reins, after laying the foundations.”
The departing CEO gave no explanation to his departure.
Hoare, who also holds the role of president of global operations at Britishvolt, has circled the automotive industry for more than two decades.
He currently chair’s the UK Automotive Council, having chaired Ford’s board for over three years, following a 19-year stint at the automotive giant.
The incoming acting CEO launched his career at BMW as an engineer, before moving onto Jaguar Land Rover.
The battery producer, which primarily supplies the electric vehicle industry, confirmed its plans for the UK gigafactory in January following a £1.7bn funding deal with the Government’s Automotive Transformation Fund and private capital from the likes of abrdn and Trixtax.