Industry jobs: Roles filled at Indra, Virtuo, Motive Fuels and Synetiq

Indra appoints new chief operating officer

Indra has announced the appointment of James Falla as chief operating officer (COO) at the company’s headquarters in Malvern, Worcestershire – to help scale the business.

Falla has more than 20 years’ experience in the automotive industry and was previously COO at fuel-cell manufacturer Ceres Technology.

He has also held senior positions at Air International and TRW Automotive, where he was responsible for globally scaling up business and launching products across multiple international markets.

Ady Moore, chief executive officer at Indra, said: “I’m delighted that James is joining the leadership team at Indra at such a pivotal and exciting time for the business.

“James’s experience in production operations and supply chain management will help us to scale the business for growth and continue to pursue our leading position in hardware and software innovation.”

Virtuo appoints Nina Holmes as COO

Virtuo has appointed Nina Holmes as COO, where she will lead the expansion strategy of Virtuo and the scale-up of the French Tech 120.

The company said Holmes’ experience will help the company to consolidate the quality of service on a large scale, while developing the model beyond the six countries it currently operates in.

Karim Kaddoura and Thibault Chassange, co-founder of Virtuo, said: “We are delighted to welcome Nina to Virtuo. Our ambition is to expand into new European and global markets. Nina's expertise in this area will be vital in securing our goal of being the benchmark for on-demand cars in France and across Europe.”

Motive Fuels appoints new CEO

Motive Fuels, an equal joint venture between ITM Power and Vitol, has appointed Jean-Marc Gales as its new CEO, effective from January 30, 2023.

Gales has spent 30 years in the automotive industry and has experience in technical, design, engineering, commercial and sales as a senior executive, most recently serving as chairman of Williams Advanced Engineering before its sale to Fortescue.

The company said he led the “successful turnaround” of Lotus as CEO. He was also former CEO of Peugeot and Citroen where he delivered a new product portfolio and CEO of CLEPA, the European Association of Automotive Suppliers.

Sir Roger Bone, chairman of Motive Fuels and ITM Power, said: “Jean-Marc’s experience in the sale of Williams Advanced Engineering to Fortescue demonstrate his passion for hydrogen mobility.

“ITM Power and Vitol look forward to working with Jean-Marc, a true automotive expert, in transitioning large vehicle mobility towards a cleaner, greener future.”

Synetiq appoints new warehouse and distribution manager

Synetiq has announced the appointed of Richard Barmby as warehouse and distribution manager across its UK sites.

As part of his role, Barmby will oversee the complete process of green parts distribution from the point of being dismantled through to delivery.

He brings 20 years’ experience in the warehouse and distribution sector including FMCG, Sainsbury’s and Warburtons.

Tom Rumboll, UK managing director for IAA and CEO of SYNETIQ, said: “Richard joins us at an exciting time as warehouse and distribution manager.

“With two decades of experience, I am confident he will make a difference. We don’t shy away from the fact that there are parts issues industry-wide, but we have one clear message to our clients and customer - we’re here, we’re listening and we’re responding.”