Dyson has appointed former Aston Martin and JLR director Hanno Kirner as its new CEO, replacing Roland Krueger, who is vacating the role to take a new position on the board of Dyson’s holding company.
Kirner will bring a “wealth of experience across multiple industries to the role”, according to Dyson’s founder, Sir James.
Additionally, he said Krueger’s guidance over COVID, “took the company through one of the most difficult times of recent memory” and that he “successfully transformed the operation of the company and built a strong team that will be the foundation for the next steps”.
In the past, Kirner worked at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, as CFO of Aston Martin before its stock market listing, and as CFO of the Land and Sea division of Rolls-Royce.
Kirner has worked for JLR and its parent company Tata Group on battery technology, has managed the Indian group’s work with Chinese-owned battery maker AESC, and its strategizing to break out into new sectors.
Dyson’s revenue has increased from £6bn to £6.5bn in 2022, with the addition of new products such as air purifiers and hair dryers. However, profits dipped from £1.5bn to £1.3bn because of escalating costs and supply chain issues.
Dyson is not alone, and other manufacturing companies saw profits rise in the following year, as global supply chain problems improved.
The new CEO will start next month and will likely oversee the opening of Dyson’s new battery factory in Singapore.