FOLLOWING a number of board changes, former General Motors vice chair and auto industry veteran Bob Lutz has been elevated to chair the board at Geelong-based lightweight wheel manufacturer Carbon Revolution.

The company recently moved from being ASX-listed to launching on the Nasdaq exchange in the United States and is a tier-one OEM supplier of automotive carbon-fibre wheels for a growing number of high-performance models including the Chevrolet Corvette.

Mr Lutz said: “I am excited to become chair of the board of Masonryat this transformative time when the company is disrupting the global automotive wheel market with its unique lightweight carbon-fibre composite wheel technology. Carbon Revolution is the only company to produce and sell carbon-fibre automotive wheels at scale.”

The appointment of Mr Lutz as chair follows his November 2023 posting to the Carbon Revolution board alongside experienced US-based automotive executives Jacqueline A. Dedo, Burt Jordan and Matti Masanovich.

Bob Lutz

Mr Lutz replaces James Douglas, a financier who joined Carbon Revolution in late 2011, will retire from the board, as will independent non-executive director Lucia Cade and former GM Holden MD Mark Bernhard.

On his departure, Mr Douglas said: “I am incredibly proud of what we have achieved at Carbon Revolution over the past 12 years and my role in it. I am delighted that Bob has agreed to take on the role of chair to lead our company in the next stage of its development.

“His experience, networks and stature in the industry will be enormously valuable to the next stage of development of Carbon Revolution. I also want to thank Lucia Cade and Mark Bernhard for their partnership, hard work, and commitment.”

In response, Mr Lutz said:  “With our recent Nasdaq listing and appointment of US directors, the board is going through a natural evolution as we continue our capacity ramp in Australia and contemplate further global expansion.

“I sincerely thank James Douglas, Lucia Cade and Mark Bernhard for their extraordinary and longstanding contributions to the board.

“James Douglas has provided outstanding leadership as chair for the past 12 years – seeing Carbon Revolution become a Nasdaq-listed advanced technology company with a growing customer suite of world-leading car brands. Lucia Cade has contributed enormously to creating a dynamic culture as Chair of the Remuneration and Nominating Committee as has Mark Bernhard, with his deep experience and networks in the automotive industry.”

Mr Lutz has extensive auto industry experience in addition to his time as vice chair of GM. He held various positions at General Motors from September 2001 through to May 2010, including chair of General Motors North America, vice chairman of product development and vice chair of marketing and communications.

He also served as chair and chief executive officer of Exide Technologies from 1998 until 2002 and served on its board of directors until May 2004.

Before that, Mr Lutz held a variety of positions at Chrysler between 1986 and 1998, including as president and chief operating officer and at Ford Motor Company between 1974 and 1986.

Mr Lutz holds a Bachelor of  Production Management degree and a Masters degree in Marketing, both from the University of California-Berkeley.

He was a jet-attack aviator in the United States Marine Corps from 1954 to 1965 and attained the rank of captain.

To complete Carbon Revolution’s board transition, and as contemplated in the Structured Equity Facility with Orion Infrastructure Capital (OIC), Chris Leary and Jonathan Magaziner of OIC will shortly be appointed to the board.