Mercedes-Benz HPC North America Welcomes Seasoned Executives to Transform the EV Charging Experience
- Mercedes-Benz and MN8 Energy have committed over $1 billion to build North America’s fastest EV charging network by the end of the decade, powered by 100% clean energy and open to all EV brands, prioritizing quality and a Mercedes-Benz brand experience.
- Mercedes-Benz HPC appointed Anupa Charles-Pierre as Vice President of Marketing & Communication and Nathan Pearson as Vice President of Finance.
- MN8 Charging appointed Glen Spencer as Chief Operating Officer and Ron Kruse as Vice President of Operations & Management of its partnership.
NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Mercedes-Benz HPC North America, a partnership between the Mercedes-Benz Group and MN8 Energy, announced today the appointments of top-level executives to lead the development and operations of its premium network of EV charging stations. MN8 Charging appointed Glen Spencer as Chief Operating Officer and Ron Kruse as Vice President of Operations & Management. Mercedes-Benz HPC appointed Anupa Charles-Pierre as Vice President of Marketing & Communications and Nathan Pearson as Vice President of Finance.
This comes months after announcing the launch of the EV charging network, inaugurated at the first charging hub in Sandy Springs, Georgia. Mercedes-Benz, in partnership with MN8 Energy, has committed to invest over $1 billion to deliver 2,500 chargers within at least 400 charging hubs across North America by the end of the decade. With decades of collective experience in the EV sector, luxury brands, and customer experience, the new hires reinforce Mercedes-Benz’s and MN8 Energy’s commitment to innovation and delivering an unparalleled, premium charging experience.
“We’re intent on creating the fastest, most accessible, and highest quality charging experience ever. Delivering a market leading charging network demands pulling together a market-leading team from across the EV, luxury brand, and consumer experience sectors. These critical hires, along with our special partnership with MN8 energy, add to the diverse and dedicated team behind our network and further our momentum towards our goals.”
President & CEO of Mercedes-Benz HPC North America, Andrew Cornelia
Glen Spencer brings more than 30 years of experience in renewable energy, commercial design, build construction, and infrastructure to MN8 Charging. Spencer has managed programs and led companies with $500 million in annual capital projects. Most recently, he led the design and construction efforts for EV infrastructure programs at BP, deploying over 1,000 DC fast charging stations with Electrify America and BP in the U.S., Australia, and New Zealand.
Ron Kruse has over 20 years of experience building, leading, and transforming operations teams within the clean energy and industrial supply sectors. Kruse comes to MN8 Charging from Volta Charging, where he served as Volta’s Vice President of Service Operations and led field service, customer support, and operational analytics which resulted in securing Volta’s award recognition from JD Power. Kruse’s career in operations has spanned roles in supply chain, information technology, and field operations. With an unrelenting focus on process improvement, change management, and team building, Ron operationalizes and rapidly scales organizations to enable revenue.
Anupa Charles-Pierre comes to Mercedes-Benz HPC with 25 years of marketing, communications, and leadership experience across several different industries and disciplines, with a keen focus and passion for building strong luxury brands and creating memorable experiences for customers and communities. She has significant automotive experience through her work at Ferrari NA, Mercedes-Benz USA, and Ford Motor Company. Most recently, Anupa oversaw global brand marketing at Hilton for their luxury brands Waldorf Astoria, Conrad, and LXR Hotels & Resorts.
Nathan Pearson joins Mercedes-Benz HPC after three years as Chief Financial Officer at LIFEAID Beverage Company. Pearson has an extensive background building finance functions across multiple industries. He led financial planning for the early phase of Tesla’s Supercharger network, following a stint managing construction finance and site development for Tesla’s first Gigafactory in Nevada. After his time at Tesla, Nate worked with growth-stage companies in the consumer products space.
Mercedes-Benz HPC North America, in partnership with MN8 Charging, is responsible for the development and operation of the Mercedes-Benz charging network in North America, helping realize the next, essential step forward in Mercedes-Benz’s electrification strategy: expansion of the overall North American EV charging map to help propel EV adoption to the next levels. The company is part of the Mercedes-Benz Mobility AG family of companies, the financial and mobility services division of Mercedes-Benz Group AG.
Further information on Mercedes-Benz HPC North America is available at: https://www.mbusa.com/en/ev-charging-stations.
About Mercedes-Benz HPC North America:
Mercedes-Benz HPC North America is responsible for the development and operation of the Mercedes-Benz high-power charging network in North America, helping realize the next, essential step forward in Mercedes-Benz’s electrification strategy: Expansion of the overall North American EV charging map to help propel EV adoption to the next levels. Its mission is to deliver an industry-leading premium charging experience, with plans to deploy 400 charging stations and over 2,500 high-power chargers across North America by the end of this decade. As part of Mercedes-Benz Mobility AG, we play a crucial role in expanding the North American EV charging infrastructure and driving EV adoption. The company is a joint venture between Mercedes-Benz Financial Services Investment Company LLC and MN8 Energy, a leading renewable energy company. MN8 will develop and operate the EV charging stations that form the Mercedes-Benz High Power Charging North America network. Mercedes-Benz North America is part of the Mercedes-Benz Mobility AG family of companies, the financial and mobility services division of Mercedes-Benz Group AG.
About MN8 Energy LLC
MN8 Energy serves enterprise customers on their journey to an electrified, decarbonized world by providing renewable energy and related services. With a more than 3.2 gigawatt solar fleet comprised of over 875 projects across 28 states, over 270 megawatts of battery storage projects, and EV charging solutions, MN8 is one of the largest and most sophisticated independent solar energy and energy storage power producers in the U.S.
Contacts
Humza Ahmad humza.ahmad@mercedes-benz.com 248-464-7168
