UK based electric vehicle firm, Switch Mobility has announced the appointment of Mahesh Babu as the company’s new chief executive officer (CEO) after incumbent Andy Palmer stepped down citing personal reasons.
Babu is presently the CEO of Switch Mobility India and the Chief Operating Officer at Switch Mobility.
Ashok Leyland chairman Dheeraj Hinduja has taken on the role of executive chairman with immediate effect to ensure the continuity of business, as per a press statement.
Palmer has also stepped down from the board of Ashok Leyland.
The automotive veteran had joined Ashok Leyland following an illustrious career at automakers like Nissan and Aston Martin. He had led the production of the Nissan Leaf, one of the earliest electric vehicles. He was the CEO of Aston Martin between 2014 and 2020.
Palmer had become a director on the board of Ashok Leyland in 2017 and when the company’s EV business was consolidated under Switch Mobility in 2021, he took over as the CEO and Vice Chairman.
“I would like to personally thank Andy for his vision and commitment since the inception of Switch and what we have achieved so far would not have been possible without his astute leadership,” Dheeraj Hinduja said in a statement. “Mahesh has the track record of successfully growing the business in India and I am confident that under his leadership, we can achieve the same in the UK and Europe.”
Mahesh Babu was earlier the managing director and CEO of Mahindra Electric.
