SINGAPORE - Consumer electronics giant Dyson has appointed Mr Hanno Kirner as its new chief executive “for the next chapter of the company’s growth”, with current CEO Roland Krueger taking on a new board role.
Both appointments will take effect in February, the company announced on Jan 16.
Mr Kirner joins Dyson from Tata Group, where he was executive director of Jaguar Land Rover and led the group’s battery programme from 2021.
He joined Jaguar Land Rover in 2016 as a board member of the executive management and was responsible for corporate and product strategy, financial services, information technology, diplomatic affairs and special operations.
Mr Kirner’s previous roles include being chief financial officer at Aston Martin Lagonda and Rolls-Royce’s land and sea division. Before that, he was director of finance and IT at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.
When asked by The Straits Times if Mr Kirner’s experience leading Tata’s battery programme marked a focus on battery production, a Dyson spokesperson said: “We’ve recruited him because he has very wide experience.”
“Strategically, nothing has changed,” the spokesperson said, adding that “this is an example of a well-planned and orderly succession”.
Dyson announced in May 2023 that it will set up a next-generation battery plant in Singapore, tapping technology from its abandoned electric vehicle project to develop new products.
The plant being built in Tuas is due to start operating in 2024 and go into full production in 2025. Dyson has said the batteries to be produced will be smaller, lighter, sustainable and with higher energy density.
The company in October 2019 scrapped a £2.5 billion (S$4.3 billion) project to build electric cars in Singapore, saying it was not commercially viable.
After four years as Dyson CEO, Mr Krueger will stay on in Singapore as a non-executive director of Dyson Holdings.
During his tenure, Dyson embarked on a £2.75 billion, five-year investment plan in new technologies, such as artificial intelligence and machine learning, Dyson Digital Motors and battery technologies, alongside beauty and home care products.
Dyson also expanded its engineering and development centres, as well as its production network globally.
The company operates in 84 countries and has engineering centres in Britain, Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines and Poland.
Mr James Dyson, company founder and chairman, said in a statement: “Roland has successfully transformed the operation of the company and built a strong team that will be the foundation for the next steps of Dyson. I am delighted he has agreed to stay on the board to help shape Dyson’s future.”
“They are big boots to fill, but we are confident Hanno can do just that,” added Mr Dyson, noting that Mr Kirner “brings to Dyson a wealth of experience across multiple industries”.
