Elio Motors Inc. Names Dave Schembri to Board of Directors
Troy, MI (PRWEB) February 05, 2015 -- Elio Motors, Inc., today named automotive and logistics industry veteran Dave Schembri to its Board of Directors, providing additional expertise in manufacturing, marketing and operations that will help the company launch its revolutionary $6,800 vehicle that will get up to 84 MPG.
A 40-year industry veteran, Schembri is currently the CEO of the Active Aero Group, a global transportation logistics solutions provider headquartered in Belleville, Mich. The majority of his career was realized in various executive positions at Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen. At Mercedes Benz, Dave served as both the Vice President of Sales and the Vice President of Marketing. During his tenure, Schembri was responsible for several successful product launches while the company recorded 11 consecutive record years in new vehicle sales.
Most notably, Schembri previously was the President of smart USA, a Penske Automotive Group company. He was responsible for the successful launch of smart USA (a division of Mercedes-Benz), which included establishing and maintaining a retail network, customer relations, advertising, marketing, PR, and all sales, service, and parts functions.
Schembri was born and raised in Detroit and earned both his B.S. and MBA degrees from the University of Detroit.
“Dave Schembri has invaluable experience launching and managing major automotive brands in North America,” said Elio Motors founder and CEO Paul Elio. “His leadership and vision exhibited throughout his career will have many parallels to our experience with the Elio. Our vehicle and our company are reinventing the way Americans think about personal transportation and Dave will be an important asset as we bring our vision to production.”
Schembri also has held management and leadership positions for Mitsubishi North America, Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen of America and American Motors Corp.
Other Elio Motors Board of Directors members include James Holden, former DaimlerChrysler CEO; Ken Way, former Lear Corporation CEO; Hari Iyer, CEO of Pamban Energy Systems; and, Stuart Lichter, founder and Chairman of the Board of IRG, LLC.
Elio Motors’ vehicle is slated to launch in the first half of 2016 and is already connecting with consumers. Nearly 40,000 people have made reservations for a spot in line to purchase a vehicle when it goes to production.
Elio Motors will create more than 1,500 jobs at its manufacturing facility in Shreveport, La., help reduce the country’s dependence on foreign oil and provide a more environmentally friendly transportation solution for American drivers.
“It is energizing to me and to our team to have so many industry icons as Directors who understand our vision, recognize the importance of transforming the American transportation industry and passionately support our development and success,” said Paul Elio, CEO of Elio Motors. “We look forward to the strategic input of all our board members as we fulfill our mission of low-cost, high-mileage vehicles for American drivers.”
About Elio Motors
Founded by car enthusiast Paul Elio in 2008, Elio Motors Inc. represents a revolutionary approach to manufacturing an ultra-high-mileage vehicle. The three-wheeled Elio is engineered to attain a highway mileage rating of up to 84 mpg while providing the comfort of amenities such as power windows, power door lock and air conditioning, accompanied by the safety of multiple air bags and an aerodynamic, enclosed vehicle body. Elio’s first manufacturing site will be in Shreveport, La. For more information, visit http://www.eliomotors.com or http://www.facebook.com/ElioMotors.
Mike DeVilling, BERLINE, +1 (248) 875-4207, [email protected]
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