Board Members
John Pettitt, President and Chief Executive
John joined Clean Air Power in August 2005 as part of the Company's renewed focus on the world truck market. John has over 25 years' senior level experience in General Management, Sales & Marketing within the business-to-business services sector.
His career started with Thomson Yellow Pages and Thomson Directories reaching the position of Sales Controller with a staff of 350. Leaving Thomson after 13 years, he joined Lex Service plc as Sales Director of Lex Vehicle Leasing which he helped grow from 15,000 to 50,000 vehicles in five years to become the UK's leading vehicle leasing company.
He left to become Managing Director of Fraikin Ltd, the UK division of Europe's largest independent truck leasing business. After roles with TLS Truck Rental and Iveco-Ford Truck Ltd, he rejoined Lex Service and remained there for five years before joining Clean Air Power. His last role was managing Lex Transfleet Airside Solutions, a company employing over 400 staff and maintaining 6,500 pieces of equipment and vehicles for British Airways at four UK airports. In all roles John has a successful track record of business development built on recruiting and developing strong management teams at all levels and providing clear direction and leadership.
Peter Rowse, Group Finance Director
Peter joined Clean Air Power in January 2006. Previously he served as Chief Financial Officer of DeLonghi America, Inc., the US subsidiary of the Italian appliance company, where he was responsible for finance, IT management and development, human resource functions, and logistics. Peter was integrally involved in all commercial areas and strategic planning and was instrumental in the company's turnaround. Peter led several initiatives at DeLonghi to improve internal controls and played an active role in managing Canadian and Mexican operations. Peter also served as Controller, and later, Finance Director of DeLonghi Ltd in the UK. During his tenure, the company's revenue grew from 5 million GBP to 50 million GBP. Prior to DeLonghi, he held financial and management accounting roles at Alexon Group plc and TNT Express Europe (UK) Ltd. Peter is FCMA qualified.
Rodney Westhead, Chairman
Rodney joined as a Director of Clean Air Power in January 2006 and is a director of Transense Plc and ACTA Plc and a member of Council of Brunel University. During his career in the British automotive industry, Rodney served as the Group Chief Executive of Ricardo plc (the largest automotive consultancy company in Europe with approximately £200m in annual turnover), where he was responsible for managing a global range of companies engaged in automotive strategic and technology consulting. Rodney led the Group in strategic acquisitions in the UK and Europe, establishing offices throughout the world. Prior to serving as Chief Executive, Rodney served as the Group Finance Director. Rodney Westhead was a partner in Grant Thornton, including Managing Partner of the London office.
Bernard Lord, (Non-Executive Director, Deputy Chairman)
Bernard Lord is a solicitor and lives in Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada. Since completing his second term as Premier of the Province of New Brunswick in October 2006, he is currently President and CEO of the Canadian Wireless Telecommunication Association. Prior to that, he was with the leading Canadian law firm McCarthy Tétrault LLP as Senior Counsel. His interest in transportation was evident during his tenure as Premier, during which time major investment in infrastructure of the road network of New Brunswick was made. His commitment to the environment was demonstrated by the creation of Efficiency New Brunswick, an agency dedicated to the reduction of energy consumption and costs, and improving the environment.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in social science with a major in Economics, a bachelor’s degree in common law from the Université de Moncton, an honorary doctorate of laws from the University of New Brunswick and honorary doctorate degrees from the Université de Moncton and St. Thomas University. He was elected four times as the MLA for Moncton East.
Dr. Ulrich Wöhr, (Non-Executive Director, Chairman of the Audit Committee)
Ulrich, born in 1934, is currently chairman of the Supervisory Board of BERU Aktiengesellschaft in Ludwigsburg/Germany, Deputy Chairman of the Supervisory Board of EAN European Avionics Navigationssysteme GmbH & Co. KG, Weilderstadt/Germany and advisor to several large and medium sized non listed and privately held companies, as well as shareholder and partner in the family owned Otto Wöhr GmbH, Friolzheim, a leading and worldwide supplier of mechanical and automatic car parking devices. During his career in the German industry, he served inter alia for almost 20 years as CEO/CFO of VDO Adolf Schindling AG, an important worldwide operating partner of the automotive industry.
Thereafter he was CFO of the then troubled Metallgesellschaft AG, Frankfurt am Main, followed by the CEO function in GEA AG,Bochum, a company acquired by Metallgesellschaft AG in 1999.After his retirement in the year 2000, from 2002 to 2004 he was responsible for the restructuring of Bundesdruckerei GmbH, Berlin, a former privatised German government printing body.
Prof. Dr. Karl-Viktor Schaller, (Non-Executive Director, Chairman of Technical Advisory Board)
Viktor, born 1958, is a mechanical engineer based in Munich, Germany. He advises with his own consultancy company mayor Tier1 suppliers and OEMs in the truck sector and is member of the Behr GmbH & Co. KG technical advisory board. Between 1990 and 2009 he worked at MAN Commercial Vehicles AG, one of Europe's leading industrial players in transport related engineering, heading various departments including those responsible for development of alternative drive systems (batteries, various hybrids, natural gas, hydrogen in combustion engines and fuel cells) and heavy trucks, and in 2006 became a full board member of MAN Commercial Vehicles AG at that time responsible for product development, purchasing and planning. (MAN was the fastest growing truck maker and exceeded €10 bn turnover and 100.000 trucks at that time.)
He holds a diploma and a doctorate in mechanical engineering from the Technical University of Munich. In 2006 he was awarded honorary professor at this university for his lecture “commercial vehicles”