LOS ANGELES, Jan. 13, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Canoo
Inc. ("Canoo") (Nasdaq: GOEV), a company developing
breakthrough electric vehicles (EVs) with a proprietary and highly
versatile EV platform, announced today its Board of Directors
including Executive Chairman Tony
Aquila, Debra L. von Storch,
Josette Sheeran, Thomas Dattilo, Rainer
Schmueckle, Foster Chiang and
Greg Ethridge after recently
becoming a publicly traded company.
"As we transformed Canoo into a public company, it was critical
that we built a diverse and globally experienced board of directors
to help us fulfill our mission of bringing EVs to everyone," said
Aquila. "Each recently appointed director was selected because they
bring a wealth of knowledge and experience with public companies
and will help Canoo capitalize on the major opportunities we see in
the electric vehicle market today."
Tony Aquila, Executive Chairman, Canoo; Significant Public
Company Leadership with a Strong Track Record of Value Creation for
Shareholders
Aquila is an experienced founder, investor and successful global
operator of private and public companies. As the founder of Solera
Holdings Inc., Aquila led the company as Founder, Chairman and
CEO to a $1 billion initial public
offering, as well as sourcing and executing over 50
acquisitions which significantly expanded Solera's total
addressable market. During his tenure, he also oversaw Solera's
$6.5 billion transaction from a
public-to-private business. In addition, Aquila is the founder of
AFV Partners, a global technology holding company investing in
mission critical software and data businesses, and serves as the
company's Chairman and CEO. Aquila is an inventor with 100+
patents, a proven Permanent Capital Investor and dealmaker with 70+
transactions with a cumulative value of over $15 billion. In 2013, he was the recipient
of the prestigious National EY Entrepreneur of The Yearâ„¢ 2013
Technology Award. Aquila officially joined Canoo's Board of
Directors as the Executive Chairman when the company became public
on December 21, 2020.
Debra L. von Storch, Former
Partner at Ernst & Young LLP; Growth, Audit and
Corporate Governance Expert
With nearly four decades of experience, von Storch is a former
Partner at Ernst & Young LLP (EY), a multi-national
professional services network and one of the U.S.'s Big Four
accounting firms. She also served as Director of the EY
Entrepreneur of the Year Program. At EY, she specialized in
advising early-stage to rapid growth companies. Currently, von
Storch serves as a director of CSW Industrials (NASDAQ: CSWI), an
industrial products and specialty chemicals company, and is a
member of the audit committee in addition to serving on the boards
of several other prominent financial and charitable organizations
in the Dallas Metropolitan area
and across the U.S. At Canoo, she will serve on the Board of
Directors as Chairperson of the Compensation Committee as well as a
member of the Audit Committee. The appointment of von Storch to the
board was effective on January 12,
2021.
Josette Sheeran, Former
U.S. Under Secretary for Economic, Energy and Agricultural
Affairs; Diplomat and Humanitarian
Sheeran is an international leader, decorated diplomat and
humanitarian who most notably served as the former Vice Chair of
the World Economic Forum; Executive Director of the United Nations
World Food Program; United States Under Secretary for Economic,
Energy and Agricultural Affairs under President George W. Bush; and Deputy U.S. Trade
Representative and Ambassador covering Asia, Africa,
labor, environment, intellectual property, and trade capacity
building. Most recently, Sheeran served as the President and CEO of
the Asia Society, a global non-profit focused on policy,
sustainability, conflict resolution, culture, and education. In
2011, she was recognized by Forbes as the 30th most
powerful woman in the world. Sheeran joined the Canoo Board of
Directors on December 21, 2020 and
will serve as a member of the Nominating & Corporate Governance
Committee and the Compensation Committee.
Thomas Dattilo, Former
Chairman, Harris Corporation; Proven
Leader with High-Tech Expertise
Dattilo is an experienced executive and leader with extensive
knowledge of complex operational, financial and governance issues
faced by large global public companies within the automotive and
technology industries. He previously served as Chairman for Harris
Corporation, a technology company, defense contractor, and
information technology services provider. He also served as
Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer at Cooper Tire
& Rubber Company, which specializes in the design, manufacture
and sale of passenger car and truck tires. Dattilo also served as
Chairman and Senior Advisor at Portfolio Group, a privately-held
provider of outsourced financial services to automobile dealerships
specializing in aftermarket extended warranty and vehicle service
contract programs. In addition, Dattilo was a Director at Solera
Holdings Inc. and served on the Compensation Committee. Dattilo
joined the Canoo Board of Directors on December 21, 2020 and will serve as Chairperson
of the Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee as well as a
member of the Audit Committee and the Compensation Committee.
Rainer Schmueckle, Former
Supervisory Board Member of MAN Truck & Bus; Veteran Global
Automotive Executive
Schmueckle is a seasoned automotive executive with more than 30
years of industry experience. Most notably, he was a member of the
supervisory board of MAN Truck & Bus SE, a provider of
commercial vehicles and transport solutions around the world; Chief
Operating Officer of the Mercedes Car Group at Daimler AG, a
publicly-traded multinational automotive company; Chief Executive
Officer of Freightliner Inc, a leading heavy-truck manufacturer in
North America; and Chief Operating
Officer of Automotive Seating at Johnson Controls International, a
publicly-traded multinational company that provides security
equipment for buildings. Schmueckle joined the Canoo Board of
Directors on December 21, 2020 and
will serve as Chairperson of the Audit Committee as well as a
member of the Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee.
Foster Chiang, Director,
Integrity Capital Management; Precision Manufacturing
Experience
Chiang brings financial executive experience to Canoo as
the Director of Integrity Capital Management Limited and
former Vice Chairman of TPK Holding Co. Ltd., a leading Taiwanese
developer and manufacturer of touch solutions for mobile and
consumer electronic devices such as smartphones, tablets, eBooks,
notebook computers, point of sale kiosks, and automated teller
machines. Chiang spent seven years at TPK in various executive
roles including Board Member and Division Chief. Chiang officially
joined Canoo's Board of Directors on December 21, 2020.
Greg Ethridge, Former
President, COO and Director, Hennessy Capital Acquisition Corp. IV;
SPAC, Financial and Capital Markets Experience
Ethridge is an experienced leader in private equity and special
purpose acquisition companies (SPACs) and currently serves as
Chairman of Motorsports Aftermarket Group, a designer,
manufacturer, marketer and distributor of aftermarket parts,
apparel and accessories for the motorcycle and power sports
industry. Previously, he served as President, Chief Operating
Officer and Director of Hennessy Capital Acquisition Corp. IV prior
to its merger with Canoo. Ethridge also served as Senior Partner at
MatlinPatterson Global Advisers LLC, an institutional private
equity firm, and at Jefferies and Company, Inc., where he executed
corporate restructurings and leveraged finance transactions.
Ethridge previously sat on the board of directors for Hennessy
Capital Acquisition Corp. IV, and he joined the Canoo Board of
Directors on December 21, 2020.
With these additions, the board now consists of seven members,
including five independent directors with complementary
capabilities that will help guide Canoo as the company begins its
journey in the public domain.
About Canoo
Canoo is a Los Angeles-based
company that has developed breakthrough electric vehicles that are
reinventing the automotive landscape with bold innovations in
design, pioneering technologies, and a unique business model that
defies traditional ownership to put customers first. Distinguished
by its experienced team – totaling over 350 employees from leading
technology and automotive companies – Canoo has designed a modular
electric platform purpose-built to deliver maximum vehicle interior
space and adaptable to support a wide range of vehicle applications
for consumers and businesses.
For more information, please visit www.canoo.com.
For Canoo press materials, including photos, please visit
press.canoo.com.
For investors, please visit investors.canoo.com.
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