John Hitch
Lordstown Endurance Rear Hitch 61279d1a5443b

Lordstown Motors appoints new CEO

Aug. 26, 2021
The Ohio battery-electric OEM appointed Daniel Ninivaggi as it moves closer to the production of its light-duty Endurance pickup truck.

Lordstown Motors Corporation appointed Daniel Ninivaggi as CEO and to its board of directors, effective immediately.

Ninivaggi is the former CEO of Icahn Enterprises, a diversified holding company controlled by Carl Icahn, and has served in a variety of senior leadership positions in the automotive and transportation industries. He began his automotive career at Lear Corporation, ultimately serving as EVP, where he was responsible for corporate development and strategy, among others. He later held the positions of co-chairman and co-CEO of Federal-Mogul Holdings Corporation, an $8 billion supplier of powertrain, chassis, sealing, brake, and other automotive components, prior to its sale to Tenneco.

“I believe the demand for full-size electric pickup trucks will be strong, and the Endurance truck, with its innovative wheel hub motor design, has the opportunity to capture a meaningful share of the market,” said Ninivaggi. “With an absolute focus on execution, I look forward to working with the talented Lordstown management team, our suppliers, and other partners to bring the Endurance to market and maximize the value of our assets.”

While with Icahn Enterprises, Ninivaggi also oversaw Icahn Enterprises’ automotive aftermarket service network and parts distribution businesses. Ninivaggi has extensive experience as a director of public companies, including Icahn Enterprises, Motorola Mobility (prior to its sale to Google), Navistar International, Hertz Global Holdings, and CVR Energy. He currently serves as the chairman of the board of directors of Garrett Motion, a Tier 1 supplier of turbochargers and other propulsion products.

“The Board is enthusiastic about Dan’s appointment as CEO,” said David Hamamoto, chairman of the Lordstown board CEO search committee. “We are impressed with his broad automotive background, track record, strategic thinking, and team-oriented leadership talent. Furthermore, his capital markets expertise and investment proficiency will be invaluable in navigating the company through its commercial ramp-up, capital allocation, and growth phase. We unanimously concluded that he has the optimal combination of skills and public company experience to lead Lordstown Motors at this time. On behalf of the entire Board, I’d like to thank Angela Strand who successfully served as Executive Chairwoman during the CEO transition period and will continue as Non-Executive Chair going forward.”

Ninivaggi is a graduate of Stanford University School of Law, the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business, and Columbia University.

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