Helmond-based Lightyear, a solar and automotive technology company, announced in December 2023 the appointment of Bonna Newman as CEO and Marnix Borghouts as the new CFO.
Lex Hoefsloot, the founding CEO, will stay in the company to ensure a smooth transition and focus on long-term potential.
“We are excited to welcome Sunbo Angel Partners and Lighthouse as strategic investors. Our relationship began early this year at the CES in Las Vegas and our interactions in the Netherlands and South Korea have facilitated a deeper relationship. As their limited partners (LPs) represent multiple automotive suppliers, this step also broadens our access within the strong South Korean automotive sector,” says Lex Hoefsloot, CEO of Lightyear.
The announcement comes ahead as the Dutch company is preparing for the market introduction of Lightyear’s on-board solar products to the automotive industry.
Who is Bonna Newman?
Bonna Newman brings exceptional experience in the solar and vehicle-integrated PV sector.
As Lightyear now aims to offer its innovative on-board solar charging system technology to the entire passenger car market, her network, knowledge, and expertise will be valuable for maximizing impact.
Bonna has a Ph.D. in Physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and has worked in the PV sector for almost two decades.
She is a founding board member of the Alliance for Solar Mobility and a member of the executive committee of the European Technology and Innovation Platform for PV.
Bonna is recognised globally as a thought leader in the emerging solar mobility industry.
Bonna says, “Lightyear has demonstrated how highly-efficient electric vehicles combined with on-board solar will accelerate the energy transition and benefit the world. Lightyear has set the stage for a new era of solar-powered mobility. I look forward to partnering our amazing team with the automotive industry to ensure the best on-board solar technology is available to everyone.”
Marnix Borghouts: What you need to know
Marnix is an international, operational finance executive with over 30 years of global experience in various industries. He started his career as a CPA at KPMG.
He has a solid track record on growth and turnaround, compliance, and delivering trust to external and internal stakeholders.
He brings in-depth and hands-on skills for growth, corporate finance, and strategy.
Lex, the previous CEO, adds, “I have great confidence in Bonna’s and Marnix’s leadership, their combined skillset is exactly what the company needs right now. I am confident they will take this company to new heights. As Lightyear is becoming more mature and shifts towards scaling the on-board solar technology, my skills are best put to use in a different role within the company. I will focus on getting more of our automotive technology IP stack onto the market and find the right partners to execute on the commercial potential of the Lightyear vehicle.”
Read the orginal article: https://siliconcanals.com/news/lightyear-appoints-new-ceo-cfo/
