Former Intel VP & GM of IoT and GE Digital Co-Founder Brings Decades of Technology Leadership
TROY, Mich. – Electric Last Mile, Inc. (“ELMS” or “the Company”) today announced that Jonathan Ballon has joined the Company as its first Chief Digital Officer. In this newly created role, reporting directly to Co-Founder and CEO James Taylor, Ballon will be responsible for the Company’s overall digital technology strategy and play a pivotal role in the investment and commercialization of ELMS’ software and data solutions as well as the formulation of new business models to service commercial fleets and their partners.
ELMS also announced that Jonathan Ballon will lead the establishment of a new ELMS Software & IoT Center of Excellence. The Company is currently evaluating locations.
“I’m thrilled to have Jonathan join our leadership team and bring his decades of experience transforming productivity for the enterprise as we work to deliver innovative digital solutions that make our customers more efficient,” said ELMS Co-Founder and CEO, James Taylor.
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“I’m excited to be joining a company so focused on the customer and pioneering the future of last mile solutions,” said Ballon. “ELMS is not simply innovating commercial vehicles. We aim to reimagine the alchemy of hardware and software for commercial EVs, and to creatively explore how new solutions can unlock productivity for business. With the demand for last mile solutions growing across commercial industries spanning delivery, utilities, telecom and food services, the opportunity to reduce pollution and improve the economics is vast. I am thrilled to be part of the team working to catalyze a new industry that can meaningfully reduce our impact on the planet.”
A veteran deep tech executive and recognized thought leader on Industrial IoT, Ballon brings more than 25 years of experience driving transformation at global technology companies. He was most recently VP & GM of Intel’s Internet of Things Group, where he pioneered AI and deep learning hardware and software solutions and oversaw a global, multi-billion-dollar P&L. Earlier, Ballon was Co-Founder, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Strategy Officer of GE Digital, GE’s global software and analytics group. At GE, he launched the company’s first cloud-based software and infrastructure platform, Predix, and scaled the organization to support GE’s multi-billion-dollar software & services business. He previously spent more than a decade at Cisco Systems, ultimately serving as Corporate Vice President leading the Office of Strategy and Planning across the fastest growth areas of the business.
In December 2020, ELMS announced it entered into a definitive agreement to merge with Forum Merger III Corporation (Nasdaq: FIII), a special purpose acquisition company. The transaction is expected to close this month, subject to regulatory and stockholder approvals and other customary closing conditions. The combined company will be named Electric Last Mile Solutions, Inc. and will continue to be listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the new ticker symbol “ELMS.”
