Nikola announced that Bruce Kurtt has joined its executive team as Senior Vice President of Sales and Commercial Operations.
Reporting to Nikola President and CEO, Michael Lohscheller, Kurtt will lead all commercial activities for Nikola, including oversight for its sales, sales operations, dealer support and relationships, charging solutions, and service and warranty teams. He succeeds Pablo Koziner, who has elected to leave the company in December.
For over 30 years, Kurtt has held executive leadership roles in the heavy and medium duty commercial vehicle industry. He has served in senior level commercial positions on the manufacturing side with Volvo and Navistar, and on the dealer side representing Kenworth and Mack. He has demonstrated significant results in market share growth, enhancing dealer revenue and increasing shareholder value. Kurtt has owned and operated truck dealerships, frequently earning International’s Circle of Excellence Award. In recent years, his passion for trucks and drive for improvement has led him to become an authority on the growth of alternative propulsion for commercial trucks, most recently with electric mobility. He holds a degree from the University of Southern Colorado.
“Now that our Nikola Tre battery-electric vehicles are driving on the road and are deliverable today, with our Nikola Tre hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles following in 2023, Bruce’s decades-long year career in the trucking industry is exactly what we need to get our trucks into the hands of customers who are committed to a zero-emissions future,” said Michael Lohscheller, President and CEO, Nikola Corporation. “As we continue to make progress on the commercial delivery front, we are confident in Bruce’s ability to help us intensify our dedicated sales coverage.”
“I joined Nikola for one important reason: they are ready now. Nikola can deliver BEV trucks right away and FCEV trucks next year,” said Kurtt. “I believe we are ahead of every other OEM with sustainable products that are critical for our future.”
The Nikola Tre BEV, with a range of up to 330 miles, started serial production in March 2022 and is available for immediate delivery. With an anticipated range of up to 500 miles, the Nikola Tre FCEV is expected to be available in 2023. To place an order or for more information, visit Nikola Electrify Your Fleet online.
“We are grateful to Pablo for his leadership and dedication to building out Nikola’s dealer network and energy and commercial teams over the past few years, and sincerely wish him all the very best as he embarks on a new and exciting chapter in his life,” said Lohscheller. “Pablo will work with Bruce over the next couple of weeks to enable a smooth transition for our customers and dealer partners.”
