Joerg Hofmann has taken up the role of Wrightbus Chief Executive after joining from London Electric Vehicle Company, a subsidiary of Geely Group.
He succeeds Buta Atwal, who will remain with the Ballymena business for a handover period before retiring at the end of 2022.
Mr Hofmann has executive-level experience in countries including Australia, Brazil and Japan, with other former employers including Audi and General Motors. He also reached the rank of Captain in the armed forces and holds an MBA from Munich University along with a degree in marketing management from Arizona State University.
Commenting on his arrival, which forms part of Executive Chairman Jo Bamford’s ongoing work to rebuild the OEM, Mr Hofmann says: “I am delighted to be joining Wrightbus and starting work as we enter the next stage of our ambitious growth plan, expanding our business in the UK and becoming one of the leading manufacturers of zero-emission buses in Europe.
“This is clearly a very exciting time for Wrightbus. I am a firm believer in green mobility, and I am excited to lead the business, with our advanced electric buses and leading hydrogen technology, to the next level of growth.”
Adds Mr Bamford: “We are delighted to welcome Joerg Hofmann to the Wrightbus team. Wrightbus has significant potential globally on the back of its technology leadership in zero-emission buses, and Joerg is the right person for the next stage of our development.”