Lambeth equality commissioner Dr Miranda Brawn, former vice chair and patron of Brixton’s Black Cultural Archives, has become one of the most senior women in the global electrical vehicle industry.
The founder and president of The Miranda Brawn Diversity Leadership Foundation, she has been appointed as the first female independent non-executive director at Switch Mobility, the UK-based developer of electric buses and light commercial vehicles.
The company, valued at about $1.8 billion according to the Financial Times, was formed by combining the electric commercial vehicle operations of Ashok Leyland and the bus manufacturer Optare, also a subsidiary of Ashok Leyland.
Ashok Leyland is run by one of the world’s richest families, the Hindujas.
The company aims to be a global top 10 electric vehicle brand. It has already made 280 electric buses and has orders for 2,000 electric vans.
Switch Mobility said Dr Brawn brings to the company a wealth of expertise and experience across many sectors, including finance, law, and technology and engineering – notably electric vehicles.
Her focus areas include corporate governance, regulatory and risk management, while trailblazing the way for the diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) and environment, social and governance (ESG) agenda in the corporate boardroom.
Dheeraj Hinduja, chairman of Switch Mobility, said: “We have brought together all our electrical vehicles initiatives under the Switch Mobility umbrella.
“In pursuit of our ambitious goal to lead net zero carbon mobility, we are strengthening our team to drive these execution plans vigorously.
“Furthermore, we strongly believe in diversity of talent at the board level to guide and support the management.
“I welcome Dr Miranda Brawn to the board. I am confident that her extensive experience will be invaluable in directing the company to accelerate our vision.”
Dr Brawn said: “It is an honour to join an extraordinary company and a team of top expert industry leaders within the engineering space.
“Together we are going to create a leading first-class global electric vehicle company, trailblazing the way to zero-carbon transportation.
“I am very proud to be joining the board of directors of Switch Mobility as an independent non-executive director with a unique diverse background and to be part of this exciting mission.
“Ashok Leyland and Switch Mobility have the potential to change the landscape of mobility globally.
“I am delighted to be able to use my extensive experience spanning more than two decades to help the organisation reach global success while playing our part in tackling climate change.”
The billionaire Hindujas have recruited other heavyweight names for Switch Mobility, including Andrew Palmer, who was formerly president and CEO of the British supercar manufacturer Aston Martin, and worked for Nissan on its electric cars.
