Ballard’s (TSX:BLD) (NASDAQ:BLDP) new CEO is making his mark already with the creation of two different groups the company will be organized under.
The Burnaby-based fuel cell firm announced February 4 it would be organized under different platforms going forward.
The power products group will be in charge of delivering products to customers with additional resources for sales and account management. The technology solutions group, meanwhile, will handle solve technical and business challenges customers face with their fuel cell programs.
Ballard CEO Randy MacEwen, who joined the company in October, spearheaded the initiative, according to spokesman Guy McAree.
“It does not affect any of the executive positions, with one exception,” McAree said, adding vice-president of engineering services Kevin Colbow will now be heading up the technical solutions group.
Otherwise, McAree said the company would be adding jobs as a result of the re-organization.
While Colbow was an internal promotional, the company looked externally to hire five new sales managers and directors for the power products group.
“It’s not turning things upside down, it’s really taking things to the next stage and making some changes around the edges here to really focus on what we need to do to grow the company,” McAree said.
“Overall it’s a net addition of staff and resources to focus on these two platforms for growth.”
The new sales directors are based in different regions of the world, including Germany and New York. Another manager will focus on sales in the Chinese market.
The technology solutions group is expected to make it easier for the engineering services division and licensing division to work more “hand in glove” after the company has deepened its intellectual property portfolio in recent years, McAree said.
