- After about nine months in the position
- Accolades, praise and thanks for Lohscheller
- Steve Girsky taking over
- Lohscheller kept it short and said 41 words
(exechange) — Phoenix, Arizona, August 4, 2023 — Michael Lohscheller, chief executive of Nikola, leaves his position. As announced by Nikola Corp. in a news release on Friday, August 4, 2023, Michael Lohscheller leaves his post as chief executive officer at the electric truck maker, after about nine months in the role, effective immediately.
Michael Lohscheller’s duties as CEO will be taken over by Stephen J. (Steve) Girsky, most recently Chairman of the Board at Nikola Corp.
“Family health matter”
The management change is explained as follows. Nikola stated: “Lohscheller has decided to step down due to a family health matter and will be returning to Europe.”
Precise information regarding Michael Lohscheller’s future plans was not immediately available.
“Step down”
Nikola said: “Michael Lohscheller will step down as President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Nikola Corporation effectively immediately and as a member of the Board of Directors effective as of August 31, 2023.”
Share price increase since January 2023
The announcement follows an increase in Nikola Corp.’s share price of 53% since January 2023.
In the position of CEO since 2022
Michael Lohscheller became CEO of the Company in 2022.
He will remain at Nikola in an advisory capacity through the end of September to support a seamless transition.
Michael Lohscheller has served as the Company’s President and as a member of the Company’s board of directors since August 2022 and was also appointed as the Company’s Chief Executive Officer in November 2022.
Prior to that, Lohscheller served as President of Nikola Motor division from March 2022 to November 2022.
Prior to joining the Company, Lohscheller served as the Global Chief Executive Officer of VinFast LLC, a private automotive manufacturer, from September 2021 to December 2021.
Prior to that, from June 2017 to August 2021, Lohscheller served as Chief Executive Officer and board member at Group PSA of Opel Automobile GmbH, a German automobile manufacturer, and from September 2012 to June 2017, as Chief Financial Officer of Opel Group, General Motors Europe.
Lohscheller served in various capacities at Volkswagen Group of America, a German automobile company, including as Chief Financial Officer from January 2008 to August 2012, and as Director of Group Marketing from 2004 to 2007.
From 2001 to 2004, Lohscheller served as the Chief Financial Officer of Mitsubishi Motors Europe, a Japanese automotive manufacturer.
Lohscheller holds a master’s degree in marketing management from Brunel University and a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences.
41 words by Michael Lohscheller
In the news release announcing his departure as CEO of Nikola Corp., Michael Lohscheller received accolades, praise and thanks.
In announcing his departure, Michael Lohscheller kept it short and said 41 words.
“Inspiring colleagues”
Michael Lohscheller stated: “I feel privileged and honored to have served as Nikola’s CEO and to have worked with so many inspiring colleagues who are relentlessly focused on advancing Nikola’s position as a leader in zero-emissions transportation. I am incredibly confident in Nikola’s future.”
Push-out Score for Michael Lohscheller’s move determined
The Push-out Score indicates on a scale of 0 to 10 how likely it is that Michael Lohscheller was pushed out or felt pressure to leave his position.
exechange reached out to Nikola and offered the company the opportunity to comment on the score.
Read the full story in the exechange report 32.2023 ($).