BYD Taps Former Tesla Executive to Head Growing Truck Team

BYD trucks are already hard at work

BYD (Build Your Dreams) announced that experienced business development executive Aaron Gillmore, formerly at Tesla and SolarCity, has been named Vice President of Truck Business for BYD.

An accomplished business development executive, Gillmore comes to BYD from Tesla, Inc. where he was director of builder, military and federal sales. Prior to that Gillmore was Vice President, Solar Development at SolarCity Corporation in San Mateo. He held that post from 2009 to 2017.

In his new role, Gillmore will oversee project management, engineering, sales and aftersales for BYD’s truck business.

“Aaron understands the BYD mission and fits our culture,” BYD North America President Stella Li said. “He brings a diverse skill set to BYD with years of talent as an executive leader in his previous roles. Given our successful deployment of heavy trucks at the ports and for private customers, BYD has already established a foothold as an industry leader.

“Given Aaron’s background and strong leadership history, I’m expecting he can lead the truck team to its next level,” Ms. Li continued. “Our plan is for Aaron to build a robust and diverse team with deeply talented personnel.”

Gillmore said the opportunity to grow BYD’s business in an emerging sector of the electric vehicle market is limitless. In recent weeks the company has announced several high-profile rollouts, including the sale of 21, 8TT all-electric delivery trucks to Anheuser Busch.

“BYD trucks are already hard at work,” Gillmore said. “These sturdy all-electric vehicles are being used in applications as varied as refuse pick-up, hauling containers at the ports and delivering goods to homes and businesses throughout the U.S.”

A licensed civil engineer, Gillmore was selected by Building Design + Construction Magazine as one of the 40 under 40 industry leaders in 2007. He earned his B.S. in Civil Engineering at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and a Masters in Environmental Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley. Additionally he has completed the Executive Leadership Development Program at Columbia Business School in New York.

From 1993-1999, Gillmore served in the U.S. Navy as as Civil Engineer Corps Officer, obtaining the rank of lieutenant. During his time in the military, Gillmore supervised program management at Travis Air Force Base and executed over $150 million of new development and renovation for multi-faceted facilities and infrastructure projects.

Concurrent with the hiring of Gillmore, BYD’s John Gerra will be promoted to the position of senior director of truck business development. He will focus on electrifying the refuse industry and strategic corporate fleets.

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