KANSAS CITY, MO - Smith Electric Vehicles U.S. announced a senior management team that includes Kevin Kelly as Chief Financial Officer; Robin Mackie as Chief Technical Officer; Marianne McInerney as Vice President of Sales and Marketing; Kevin Neal as Vice President of Human Relations and Administration; and Jacques Schira as General Counsel.
"Smith's senior management team has capitalized on early momentum to quickly establish Smith as an industry leader in all-electric, zero-emission vehicles for commercial fleet operators in the United States," said Bryan Hansel, CEO of Smith. "It's a strong team and I look forward to continued success going forward.""
Smith manufactures the industry-leading Newton commercial electric vehicle platform. The Smith Newton is fuel-emissions-free, runs without noise or vibration, and stores electric energy during stopping through a process called regenerative braking. It has a top speed of 50 mph, a range on one battery charge in excess of 100 miles and a payload of over 16,000 pounds. The Newton is also the first commercial all-electric truck to achieve new vehicle emissions certification in California.
The senior management team includes:
Kevin Kelly has joined Smith Electric Vehicles as Chief Financial Officer and manages the company's corporate finance/treasure, investor relations, accounting, taxation and audit functions. Prior to joining Smith, Mr. Kelly served as the Chief Financial Officer for a venture capital-backed waste recovery company. Between 1998 and 2008, Mr. Kelly maintained the titles of Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Ferrellgas Partners, L.P., a publicly-traded, propane distribution company. Mr. Kelly is a Certified Public Accountant and currently serves on the boards of a privately-held company and a charitable organization.
Robin Mackie has joined Smith Electric Vehicles as Chief Technical Officer and brings a portfolio of more than 25 years experience in introducing new technology within the United States and Europe. Prior to joining Smith, Mr. Mackie worked for evo Medical Solution supporting the introduction of new respiratory technologies in Western markets. As a technically based consultant he has lead several publically funded design and development initiatives involving both the public and private sectors. Mr. Mackie brings industry experience from the highly regulated Automotive, Medical and IT markets from his work with UK based Express Group, an engineering, product development, and manufacturing company in North East England. As Chairman of the Board of Governors of Gateshead College Mr Mackie maintains his interest in skills development within further education.
Marianne McInerney has joined Smith Electric Vehicles as Vice President of Sales and Marketing and brings a portfolio of expertise in developing new business models for vehicle distribution, marketing and product development. She is the Immediate Past President of the American International Automobile Dealers Association which represents over 11,000 dealer organizations in the United States on matters ranging from trade, taxation, environment and operations. Recognized for her work on the front line of the industry, Ms. McInerney has long established relationships with the network of 20,000 new vehicle dealer organizations along with the leading industry automotive technology and manufacturing firms worldwide.
Kevin Neal has joined Smith Electric Vehicles as Vice President of Human Relations and Administration and brings over 20 years of experience with Fortune 500 companies and a strong background in aligning HR strategies with corporate objectives and transitions. Prior to joining Smith Electric, Mr. Neal was Vice President of Human Resources for Farmland Foods, Inc, (1999-2008) a $2 billion global producer and marketer of branded food products with 8,000 employees operating in 11 production facilities. From 1992-1999, Mr. Neal serviced as Vice President of Corporate Human Resources for the Lee Apparel Company where he directed all human resource, employee relations, and safety functions for the 12,000 employees who worked at Lee's 27 facilities domestically and internationally.
Jacques Schira has joined Smith Electric Vehicles as General Counsel and brings extensive experience in corporate and employment compliance and intellectual property law. For the past 25 years, Mr. Schira has focused his practice in corporate and business matters, specializing in new company start-ups, financing, and acquisitions and mergers. He has been chief legal counsel for several mid-sized companies with emphasis in product development, technology transfer, and regulatory compliance. He has wide-ranging experience in evaluating, correcting, and maintaining corporate records, employment processes, insurance protection, and director and officer's protection and fiduciary obligations. A graduate of Drake Law School, Mr. Schira is licensed in both Iowa and Minnesota and in both state and federal district and appellate courts.
