Randall MacEwen, President and Chief Executive Officer
Randy MacEwen has served as CEO and a member of the board of directors of Ballard since 2014. He has held executive roles in clean energy companies for 20 years, including in hydrogen, fuel cells and solar. In his earlier career, he was a lawyer specializing in M&A and corporate finance. Mr. MacEwen has represented Ballard as a supporting member of the Hydrogen Council since 2017. He also serves as a member of the board of directors of Brookfield Renewable.
Mr. MacEwen holds a Bachelor of Arts (Hon) degree from York University and a Bachelor of Law degree from the University of Western Ontario.
Mark Biznek, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer
Mark Biznek, MEng, was appointed Chief Operating Officer (COO) in January 2023. Mr. Biznek will be responsible for Ballard’s global operations, including EH&S, quality, manufacturing strategy and engineering, supply chain, procurement, production planning, facilities, and operational technology.
Mr. Biznek brings a breadth of experience from a 30-year career in operations, manufacturing, business development, and manufacturing engineering. During the past ten years, Mr. Biznek served in various leadership roles for Kohler Power Systems, including as General Manager of Marine & Power Solutions, Vice President of Global Operations & Supply Chain, and Vice President of Operations & Engine Development. He previously held manufacturing and strategy leadership roles at Mercury Marine (marine engines). In his earlier career, Mr. Biznek served in various operations and engineering roles at Delphi (lithium batteries) and GE Aviation (aircraft engines). Mark has significant experience developing global manufacturing strategies, having had accountability for manufacturing facilities in the United States, France, China, India, and Singapore.
Mr. Biznek holds a Bachelor of Science in Ceramic Engineering from the University of Missouri, a Master of Science in Materials Engineering from Purdue University, and an MBA from the University of Michigan.
Kevin Colbow, Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer
Kevin Colbow was appointed Chief Technology Officer in March 2019. Dr. Colbow’s responsibilities include Research, Product Engineering and Program Management. He also provides leadership of the Company’s Technology Solutions business segment, including Engineering Services and Intellectual Property licensing.
Dr. Colbow joined Ballard in 1994 and his areas of responsibilities have included research and development, product development, technology portfolio management and product management. He was Director of Research and Development until March 2010, when he was appointed Director of Product Management & Solutions Engineering with responsibility for fuel cell stack products. Dr. Colbow joined the Ballard Executive Team in February 2014 and served as Vice President, Technology Solutions. Most recently, from February 2016 to March 2019, he served as Vice President, Technology and Product Development.
Following receipt of a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Physics from Simon Fraser University in 1986, Dr. Colbow completed a Master of Science in lithium-ion rechargeable batteries at the University of British Columbia and, in 1992, completed a Ph.D. in photoelectron and soft x-ray spectroscopy on semiconductor surfaces. Dr. Colbow has also completed the Certificate Program for Technology Management at the California Institute of Technology and has 23 patents in the area of PEM fuel cells.
Paul Dobson, Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer
Paul Dobson joined Ballard as Senior Vice President & Chief Financial Officer in March 2021.
Mr. Dobson brings over 25 years of global financial, operations and leadership experience, including significant experience in the energy industry. Mr. Dobson most recently served as CFO and Interim CEO of Hydro One. He previously held senior financial and operating roles at Direct Energy for 15 years, including as CFO and COO. Prior to that, Mr. Dobson served for 10 years at CIBC in various finance, strategy and business development roles.
Mr. Dobson holds an Honours Bachelor’s degree from the University of Waterloo, an MBA from the Ivey Business School, Western University and is a CPA, CMA. He currently serves on the board of directors of Methanex.
Mircea Gradu, Senior Vice President and Chief Engineering Officer
Mircea Gradu was appointed SVP and Chief Engineering Officer in August 2022. Dr. Gradu’s responsibilities include develop the next-generation fuel cell technology and zero-emission engines with industry leading performance and costs.
Dr. Gradu has extensive executive-level experience including a track record of product development and deployment with leading global automotive OEMs and suppliers. He previously led Engineering and Quality at Hyundai Motor America, served as Vice President, Transmission Powertrain and Driveline for Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, as Executive Director, Engineering at Timken Automotive, and in product development and engineering project management roles at Schaeffler Group and Daimler AG. He most recently held the position of Senior Vice President, Automotive Programs at Velodyne Lidar, a provider of smart lidar technology solutions for vehicle autonomy.
A former President and Chairman of the Board of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) International, an SAE Fellow and FISITA Council, Dr. Gradu is also an Adjunct Professor at the University of California Irvine. He holds a Doctorate in Engineering from the Technical University of Stuttgart, an MSME from the Politechnica University of Bucharest, has been extensively published, was awarded 56 patents, and honored with the Edward N. Cole Award for Automotive Engineering Innovation.
David Mucciacciaro, Senior Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer
David Mucciacciaro was appointed Ballard’s SVP, Chief Commercial Officer in May 2022. Mr. Mucciacciaro’s responsibilities include global business development, sales, marketing, product line management and customer care.
David brings over 25 years of global commercial experience in the automotive industry, primarily serving Tier 1 suppliers. He has considerable expertise in strategic execution of system-based solutions resulting in optimized value propositions for automotive customers. David most recently served as Vice President – Sales, Strategy and Product Line Management of Magna Electronics.
He began his career as a Mechanical Engineer, transitioning to sales with various positions of progressed levels of responsibility. David earned a Bachelor of Science degree in engineering at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. He is a proud father of four children and shares Ballard’s passion of Zero Emission fuel cell vehicles.
Sarbjot (Jyoti) Sidhu, Senior Vice President, Chief People & Culture Officer
Sarbjot (Jyoti) Sidhu was appointed SVP, Chief People & Culture Officer in October 2022. Ms. Sidhu has global leadership responsibility for People and Culture and is a role model for the values Ballard embraces.
Ms. Sidhu joined Ballard in 2000. Most recently she served as , SVP, Operations since 2018.She had global leadership responsibility for Operations, including EH&S, Quality, Supply Chain, Production, Maintenance and Facilities. She previously held positions in Corporate quality, Production Management, EH&S and Production Planning. Ms. Sidhu has led significant projects during her tenure at Ballard, including company-wide training on lean Six Sigma, leadership of Ballard’s continuous improvement program and an ERP implementation in the areas of Procure to Pay, Supply Chain and Manufacturing. In addition, Ms. Sidhu serves on Oracle’s Supply chain advisory board.
Ms. Sidhu earned a Master of Business Administration from Simon Fraser University in 2013 as well as a certificate in Operations Management from British Columbia Institute of Technology in 2008.
Lee Sweetland, Senior Vice President and Chief Transformation Officer
Lee Sweetland was appointed SVP and Chief Transformation Officer in January 2024. Dr Sweetland will be responsible for Ballard’s transformation office, including program line management, cost reduction and major capital project leadership.
Dr Sweetland brings over 23 years experience of project management, operations and process technology development. Dr Sweetland joined Ballard in May 2018 and led the 6x expansion of Burnaby’s operations, the 3x3 cost reduction program and the next generation bipolar plate cost reduction and process scale up project. Prior to Ballard, Dr. Sweetland served as Manufacturing Technology Director in the New Markets sector of Johnson Matthey PLC, UK. He spent a total of 18 years in JM, across all sectors, with a specific focus on capital project management, continuous improvement and operations management, including 5 years in JM’s Fuel Cell business.
Following receipt of a Bachelor of Engineering (honors) in Chemical Engineering from Loughborough University, UK in 1994, Dr. Sweetland completed a Ph.D. in the removal of pesticides from drinking water in 1997, also at Loughborough University . He has 4 patents filings in the area of manufacturing PEM fuel cells.
Board of Directors
Ballard's board represents a broad range of industry expertise and offers wealth of
experience in managing high growth companies in new markets. Members of Ballard's Board of Directors serve on various committees consistent with our Corporate Governance practices.
Read more about these activities here.
Jim Roche, Chair
Ontario, Canada
Mr. Roche is founder, President and CEO of Stratford Group Ltd. (management consulting services), and President and CEO of ThinkRF Corp. (communications equipment manufacturer). Previously, Mr. Roche was co-founder, President and CEO of Tundra Semiconductor Corporation (semiconductor component manufacturer). Mr. Roche was also a founding member and executive of Newbridge Networks Corporation (communications equipment manufacturer).
Board committees:
Audit Committee
Commercial Committee
People & Compensation Committee
Sustainability & Governance Committee
Kathleen Bayless, Corporate Director
Ms. Bayless’ principal occupation is corporate director. She is Audit Committee Chair of Veeco Instruments (electronics manufacturing equipment) and Audit Committee Chair of Amprius Technologies, Inc. (lithium-ion battery manufacturing). Previously Ms. Bayless was a director of Energous (wireless charging applications); and has held various executive roles at public technology companies including SVP Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer at Synaptics, Incorporated (HMI hardware and software) as well as Komag, Incorporated (electronic component manufacturing). She started her career at Ernst & Young, a global accounting and consulting firm.
Ms. Bayless holds a B.S. Business Administration, Accounting and Finance from the California State University Fresno and is a CPA in California.
Board committees:
Audit
Sustainability & Governance Committee
Michael Chen, Corporate Director
Mr. Michael Chen currently serves as the CEO of Weichai Ballard Hy-energy Technologies Co. Ltd. and Vice General Manager of Weichai Holding Group. He has served in various engineering and management roles at Weichai Power since 2010. Mr. Chen earned a PhD in Power Engineering and Engineering Thermophysics from Tsinghua University.
Jacqueline Dedo, Corporate Director
Michigan, USA
Ms. Dedo is co-founder of Aware Mobility LLC (ACES development & consulting) and a corporate director. Prior to that, Ms. Dedo held various executive roles at Dana Holding Corp. (now Dana Incorporated, automotive component supplier), Piston Group (automotive manufacturing), The Timken Company (industrial machinery manufacturing), Motorola (computer and electronics manufacturing), and Robert Bosch Corporation (automotive component & systems supplier). Ms. Dedo earned her B.Sc. in electrical engineering from Kettering University.
Doug Hayhurst, Corporate Director
British Columbia, Canada
Mr. Hayhurst’s principal occupation is corporate director. Previously, Mr. Hayhurst was a Global Industry Leader with IBM Canada Business Consulting Services and with PricewaterhouseCoopers Management Consultants. Prior to that, Mr. Hayhurst held various senior executive management roles with Price Waterhouse Canada including National Deputy Managing Partner and Managing Partner for British Columbia.
Mr. Hayhurst received a Fellowship (FCA) from the Institutes of Chartered Accountants of British Columbia and of Ontario. He has completed the Directors Education Program of the Institute of Corporate Directors and has received his ICD.D designation.
Board Committees:
Audit
People & Compensation Committee
Hubertus M. Mühlhäuser, Corporate Director
Schwyz, Switzerland
Mr. Mühlhäuser is Executive Chairman of FläktGroup Ltd (air handling technology solution) and Chairman of Kelvion Holding Ltd (industrial heat exchangers), and a director of Black Bruin Oy (hydraulic motors). Previously, he was Chairman & CEO of Pontem Corporation (special purpose acquisition company), CEO and Executive Director at CNH Industrial N.V. (capital goods equipment), CEO and Executive Director at Welbilt Inc. (food and beverage equipment) and Sr. Vice President and General Manager at AGCO Corporation (agricultural equipment). He started his career at Arthur D. Little, a global management consulting company.
Mr. Mühlhäuser holds a Master of Business Administration / Dipl. Kfm. from the European Business School and is fluent in German, English, French and Spanish.
Board Committees:
Commercial Committee
People & Compensation Committee (Chair)
Randall MacEwen, President & Chief Executive Officer
British Columbia, Canada
Randy MacEwen has served as CEO and a member of the board of directors of Ballard since 2014. He has held executive roles in clean energy companies for 20 years, including in hydrogen, fuel cells and solar. In his earlier career, he was a lawyer specializing in M&A and corporate finance. Mr. MacEwen has represented Ballard as a supporting member of the Hydrogen Council since 2017. He also serves as a member of the board of directors of Brookfield Renewable. Mr. MacEwen holds a Bachelor of Arts (Hon) degree from York University and a Bachelor of Law degree from the University of Western Ontario.
Marty Neese, Corporate Director
California, USA
Mr. Neese is CEO of Verdagy Inc. (electrolysis and hydrogen production). He is also co-founder of Nuvosil AS (silicon recycling). Previously, he was Chief Operating Officer of Velodyne LiDAR, Inc. (autonomous vehicles); Chief Operating Officer of SunPower Corporation (solar power equipment and services); and was EVP of Worldwide Operations at Flextronics International (electronics manufacturing services) following its acquisition of Solectron Corporation (electronics manufacturing services) where he was Executive Vice President.
Mr. Neese also served in the U.S. military for five years, reaching the rank of Captain.
Board committees:
Commercial Committee (Chair)
Sustainability & Governance Committee
Janet Woodruff, Corporate Director
West Vancouver, Canada
Ms. Woodruff’s principal occupation is corporate director. Previously, Ms. Woodruff served as acting CEO to the Transportation Investment Corporation (transportation infrastructure management), advisor to the board and interim Chief Financial Officer. Prior to that, she was Vice President and Special Advisor to BC Hydro (public utility); and Interim President, Vice President, Corporate Services and Chief Financial Officer of BC Transmission Corporation (electricity transmission infrastructure).
Ms. Woodruff received a Fellowship (FCA) from the Institutes of Chartered Accountants of British Columbia. She has completed the Directors Education Program of the Institute of Corporate Directors and has received her ICD.D designation.
Board Committees:
Audit Committee
Sustainability & Governance Committee (Chair)
Yingbo Wang, Corporate Director
Mr. Yingbo Wang is the CEO of Weichai New Energy Power Technology Co. Ltd., Director of the New Energy Research Institute, and Assistant GM at Weichai Power. He has held engineering and management roles at Weichai Power since 2012. Mr. Wang earned a Master of Mechatronics Engineering at Southwest Jiaotong University.