Ionna, a charging network founded by a coalition of OEMs, including BMW, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Mercedes-Benz, Kia and Stellantis, has selected Durham, NC as its global headquarters. Following the establishment of its new headquarters, Ionna will now look to accelerate its 2024 launch plans, through which it will open its first charging stations in the U.S.
Durham was chosen by Ionna for its proximity to the Research Triangle, which itself is host to a research ecosystem and various universities. The company’s new headquarters will help it ramp up operations as it aims to bolster North America’s EV charging infrastructure – serving as a think tank, lab, mission control, and deployment pad. The headquarters will also house a Customer Experience Lab that serves as both a Quarterback and central node to seven new satellite labs positioned at each of the founding OEM’s facilities. This ‘node’ will streamline Ionna’s operations in a number of ways, enabling accelerated deployment, interoperability testing, and the continuous improvement of features.
While detailing its new headquarters, Ionna also announced the appointment of key executives to its leadership team including a CFO, CPO and COO. Derek Rush, previously the CFO of bp Pulse, joins Ionna as its new Chief Financial Officer, overseeing the JV’s financial operations and strategies. Ricardo Stamatti, formerly the Global SVP of Stellantis Energy, has been appointed Chief Product Officer, a position through which he will support the vision, strategy, and execution of Ionna’s product development and commercial efforts. Here, he will ensue the company builds high-fidelity products that meet customer needs and satisfy its ambitious business goals. As Chief Operating Officer, Shankar Muthukumar will manage all operational aspects of Ionna’s expanding network, ensuring that its systems are not only reliable and efficient, but also scalable to meet the company’s future vision.
Alongside these key appointments, Ionna confirmed that it has also hired further professionals from various industries and will continue growing the team as it works to meet its targets.
