BALLYMENA-based zero-emissions bus manufacturer Wrightbus has appointed a new chief executive.
Jean-Marc Gales replaces Joerg Hofmann who held the role for a short time after Buta Atwal's departure.
Jean-Marc has spent more than 30 years in the automotive industry and brings a wealth of technical, engineering, commercial and sales experience as a senior executive, most recently serving as chairman of Williams Advanced Engineering before its sale to Fortescue Future Industries.
In a distinguished career, he led the successful turnaround of Lotus as CEO and is also a former chief executive of both Peugeot and Citroen.
Jean-Marc is a board member of EuroGroup Laminations S.p.A., which recently listed on Euronext Milan after the execution of a successful growth strategy.
He joins Wrightbus at an exciting time for the company, with significant orders for its renowned electric and hydrogen powered buses and plans to develop a green hydrogen production facility in Ballymena.
Jean-Marc said: “I'm delighted to be joining Wrightbus and look forward to building on the considerable success the company has recently achieved in the zero-emissions sector.
“Wrightbus is leading the way in technological advances in hydrogen fuel cell buses, and has developed world-leading efficient electric power trains, used for hydrogen and battery electric powered buses.
“Our technological prowess places us in a prime position for growth and global expansion, which will be my focus as CEO.”
He added: “Our workforce is at the forefront of zero-emissions transport and I am very much looking forward to working with, and building on, the talented team in Ballymena, who have driven Wrightbus’s reputation across the UK, Ireland and around the world.”
Wrightbus chief financial officer Jamie Burns said: “We're delighted to welcome Jean-Marc to the team. His background in manufacturing and his track record in successfully transforming companies coupled with his enthusiasm make him the ideal person to realise the global potential of our zero-emission technology.”
