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IRVINE, Calif., Oct. 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Southern California automaker Karma Automotive today announced the addition of new personnel in cross-functional areas across the company This brings new hires in recent months to more than 40, as the company continues to grow the Karma brand and develop the luxury EV segment.
"Karma is pleased to share the news of these appointments to our team which will have profound influence on the future direction and vision of our business," said Dr. Lance Zhou, CEO of Karma Automotive. "We are committed to a unique vision of design, style, technology and luxury for our products and are excited to welcome consummate professionals who will contribute to articulating and incorporating that vision in their roles with Karma."
New Hires
Xinbao Gao, Ph.D., joins the HV Battery team as Director to ensure qualified deliverables for customers. He brings to Karma more than 12 years of experience working with Li-ion batteries for automotive applications and working in cross-functional teams.
With more than 20 years of engineering experience, Jim Jones joins Karma as Director, Electrical Engineering. Jones brings to the company, expertise in electrical and electronics architecture optimization through systems engineering disciplines.
Bijoo Kabeer is the new Director, Cost Engineering for Karma. With close to two decades of automotive industry experience, Kabeer will be responsible for building a new cost engineering team, which will work closely with Engineering, Design, Purchasing, Finance and Operations.
As Vice President, Vehicle Integration, Frank Lee, Ph.D., will be responsible for directing and developing the company's vehicle integration department. Lee has 30 years of automotive product development experience, including seven years in China, in auto body structure, powertrain, vehicle integration and product strategy.
Karen Longoria is the new Director, Program Management Office, and will work to establish an Enterprise Program Management Office function that ensures programs and projects are in alignment with company strategy. Longoria brings several years of experience in program management and corporate level training to her position with Karma.
Beth Moppins, Director, Material Management, takes on the critical role in leading production control and logistical activities for manufacturing in Moreno Valley. Moppins' prior experience as Director of Materials for Piston Automotive Group contributed to her skills to lead and focus on the long-term stability and success of these key areas.
A proven successful leader with a diverse professional background in the field of thermal systems at Cooper Standard and TI Automotive, Bradley Moppins, Director, Thermal Engineering, will focus on product design from a strategic, operational, quality, innovation and business development perspective. Moppins brings 20 years of experience to Karma and proven success in design for manufacturing feasibility and cost reduction initiatives in thermal systems.
Peter Salzer is the new Vice President of North American Sales for Karma and will be responsible for the continued growth of wholesale and retail sales. Salzer brings more than two decades of results-driven automotive experience to Karma, including work with luxury brands Maserati, McLaren, Mercedes and Porsche in both the OEM and retail areas.
Ken Zhang has joined Karma as Vice President, Sales and Marketing and will be based in Hangzhou, China.
In this strategic new role, Zhang will be responsible for building the Karma brand and developing marketing strategy for expansion in China. Zhang has 20 years of experience in the Chinese auto industry in engineering, product planning, and sales and marketing positions.
Promotions
Leading the future global expansion for Karma in China and Europe is Joost de Vries, Vice President, Global Sales and Customer Experience, formerly Vice President, Sales and Service. He also has responsibility for growing distribution channels overall and responding to changes in the mobility market.
Guiding the development of an integrated Karma team is Jennifer Jeffries, who has been promoted to Director, Human Resources. Since joining Karma in 2015, Jeffries has played an important role in significantly growing the company across all Karma locations.
Meet Karma Automotive and Karma Revero
Karma Automotive designs, engineers, assembles and markets luxury electric vehicles, all from its Southern California base of operations. Founded in 2014 and employing 1,000 employees worldwide, Karma Automotive is committed to elevating and growing the luxury mobility experience for its customers and draws on global relationships and tech-nology partners to achieve this. Named Green Car Journal's 2018 Luxury Green Car of the Year, Karma Revero is a luxury electric car powered by dual electric motors that embodies the company's goals of offering leading automotive design, technology, customization and an outstanding customer experience. Learn more about Karma Automotive and Revero at karmaautomotive.com.
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