VANCOUVER, BC, Aug. 29,
2022 /CNW/ - Ballard Power Systems (NASDAQ: BLDP)
(TSX: BLDP) today announced the appointment of Mircea Gradu, PhD, FSAE, as Chief Engineering
Officer (CEngO), effective August
29th, 2022.
Randy MacEwen, Ballard's
President & CEO, commented, "We are excited to welcome Mircea
to the Ballard team. Mircea brings over 25 years of experience
in the automotive and commercial vehicle industry, with deep
knowledge of electric vehicles and powertrain development. His
well-rounded technical capabilities will be pivotal in leading our
product development as we plan for the next generation of low-cost,
high performance fuel cell engines."
"I am excited to join Ballard as mobility rapidly evolves to
meet the demands of the energy transition. I look forward to
working with the Ballard team on continued innovation of our fuel
cell products and our drive to commercial scale," said Dr.
Gradu.
Dr. Gradu has extensive executive-level experience
including a track record of product development and deployment
with leading global automotive OEMs and suppliers. He previously
led Engineering and Quality at Hyundai Motor America, served
as Vice President, Transmission Powertrain and Driveline
for Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, as Executive Director,
Engineering at Timken Automotive, and in product development and
engineering project management roles at Schaeffler Group and
Daimler AG. He most recently held the position of Senior Vice
President, Automotive Programs at Velodyne Lidar, a
provider of smart lidar technology solutions for vehicle
autonomy.
A former President and Chairman of the Board of the Society of
Automotive Engineers (SAE) International, an SAE Fellow and FISITA
Council, Dr. Gradu is also an Adjunct Professor at the University of California Irvine. He holds a
Doctorate in Engineering from the Technical University of
Stuttgart, an MSME from the
Politechnica University of Bucharest, has been extensively published, was
awarded 56 patents, and honored with the Edward N. Cole Award for Automotive Engineering
Innovation.
As a member of the executive team, Dr. Gradu will collaborate
with Dr. Kevin Colbow who serves as
Ballard's Chief Technology Officer. Dr. Colbow has served at
Ballard in progressive technology leadership roles over the past 28
years, including as CTO since 2019. Mr. MacEwen added, "Mircea's
strong experience in powertrain, systems engineering, and product
development for scaled commercialization in the automotive industry
will be highly complementary to Kevin's deep experience and
expertise researching and developing PEM fuel cell technology. In
the context of growing market opportunities and with a tipping
point in our line of sight, we are thrilled that Kevin and Mircea
will work closely together to develop next-generation fuel cell
technology and zero-emission engines with industry leading
performance and costs."
About Ballard Power
Systems
Ballard Power Systems' (NASDAQ: BLDP; TSX: BLDP) vision is to
deliver fuel cell power for a sustainable planet. Ballard
zero-emission PEM fuel cells are enabling electrification of
mobility, including buses, commercial trucks, trains, marine
vessels, and stationary power. To learn more about Ballard, please
visit www.ballard.com.
This release contains forward-looking statements concerning
anticipated product performance and other characteristics, product
deliveries and deployments. These forward-looking statements
reflect Ballard's current expectations as contemplated under
section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section
21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Any such
forward-looking statements are based on Ballard's assumptions
relating to its financial forecasts and expectations regarding its
product development efforts, manufacturing capacity, and market
demand.
These statements involve risks and uncertainties that may cause
Ballard's actual results to be materially different, including
general economic and regulatory changes, detrimental reliance on
third parties, successfully achieving our business plans and
achieving and sustaining profitability. For a detailed discussion
of these and other risk factors that could affect Ballard's future
performance, please refer to Ballard's most recent Annual
Information Form. Readers should not place undue reliance on
Ballard's forward-looking statements and Ballard assumes no
obligation to update or release any revisions to these
forward-looking statements, other than as required under applicable
legislation.
Further Information
Ballard Power Systems:
Kate Charlton – VP Corporate Finance &
Investor Relations +1.604.453.3939 or
investors@ballard.com
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SOURCE Ballard Power Systems Inc.