Jean-Michel Billig, a former Naval Group executive, has been named Chief Technology Officer for hydrogen fuel cell vehicle development at Stellantis, beginning June 27, 2022.
Uwe Hochgeschurtz, CEO of the Opel Brand, will also take on the additional duty of piloting the commercialization of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles across the world, according to Stellantis.
“Jean-broad Michel’s range of experience in the aircraft, aerospace, automotive, and naval industries will contribute to bringing additional ideas to boost Stellantis’ ambition in hydrogen fuel cell sales and address the widest range of zero-emission mobility requirements,” Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares said.
“Having Jean-Michel and Uwe in these complementary roles demonstrates our commitment to strengthening our leadership in hydrogen fuel cell technology and achieving our Dare Forward 2030 strategy plan’s ambitious sustainability targets.”
Jean-Michel Billig began his career at the Helicopter Division of Aerospatiale in 1988, then transferred to Schlumberger Industries. He began his career with Aerospatiale in 1995 as Marketing Director for the Americas. He went to Airbus in 1998, where he supervised Avionic Equipment Purchasing and Systems Engineering, and eventually became CTO of Eurocopter. He was named EVP of Engineering, Quality, and Information Systems of the Renault Group in 2012. He joined Zodiac Aerospace in 2015 as CEO of Zodiac Seats, then Naval Group in 2017 as EVP of the Australian Future Submarine Program. Billig will report to Harald Wester, Chief Engineering Officer, and Ned Curic, Chief Technology Officer, on a functional level.
Uwe Hochgeschurtz will take on this new responsibility in addition to his present post as Opel Brand CEO, which he has held since September 2021. He will manage a specialized team charged with bolstering the company’s commercial effort, first focusing on the European market.
Stellantis started shipping their efficient Hydrogen Fuel Cell Zero-Emission solution late last year, which combines the benefits of hydrogen fuel cells and electric battery technology in a fuel cell electric vehicle. This technology is ideal for light commercial vehicle users that want extended range, quick recharging, and low emissions without sacrificing cargo capacity.
