Proterra names new chairman, CEO
Jack Allen will step into the role immediately, with Ryan Popple named co-founder and executive director.


Proterra’s board appointed current Chairman Jack Allen as chairman and CEO. Ryan Popple, Proterra’s CEO since 2014, was named co-founder and executive director. Proterra began planning for this transition in January and the board voted earlier this month on Allen’s appointment.
Before joining Proterra as chairman in 2017, Allen spent more than 30 years at Navistar International, the global truck and bus company, where he most recently served as COO. As CEO, Allen will use his extensive operational experience to guide Proterra’s continuing growth, including scaling operations, and supply chain and manufacturing capability to meet growing demand for zero-emission vehicles. He will also continue Proterra’s legacy of delivering groundbreaking EV technology to the market.

Under Popple’s leadership, Proterra has grown from a few customers to more than 120 customers in North America. During his tenure, he introduced industry-leading battery technology, a new Catalyst vehicle platform, and heavy-duty charging systems. In 2017, Proterra broke the world record for the longest distance ever traveled by an electric vehicle on a single charge, traveling 1,101 miles. Today, Proterra has sold more than 900 electric transit buses and Proterra’s EV technology has been proven on the road with more than 11 million service miles to date.
Popple also led the introduction of Proterra’s EV platform into adjacent vehicle markets, including electric school buses, coach buses, and delivery truck chassis with industry-leading partners.
In his new role, he will focus his attention on Proterra’s innovative and industry-leading technology. He will report directly to Allen.
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