Former Chrysler COO Eric Ridenour hired by UQM Technologies; takes CEO post Dec. 1

Ex-Chrysler exec Ridenour hired by UQM Tech

LONGMONT, Colo. — Former Chrysler Group Chief Operating Officer Eric Ridenour will join generator and electric motor manufacturer UQM Technologies Inc. on Sept. 1 and will take over as CEO on Dec. 1, UQM announced Monday.

Ridenour will begin work as president and chief operating officer and take over as CEO when William G. Rankin retires. Rankin will stay on as board chairman, the company said in a statement.

From 2005 to 2007, Ridenour was as Chrysler Group’s chief operating officer and a member of the DaimlerChrysler AG management board when Chrysler was run by German automaker Daimler-Benz.

Ridenour began his 26-year career in the auto industry as a powertrain engineer with General Motors. He spent 21 years at Chrysler Group, leading advanced vehicle engineering, product planning and quality.

“Eric’s decades of experience in the automobile industry and extensive experience as a senior manager in a variety of important roles at Chrysler make him the ideal person to lead our company into the future,” Rankin said in a statement.

Rankin will step down as CEO after nearly 18 years with the company.

UQM’s statement said it has grown from a small technology development company to a maker of electric propulsion systems. The company is positioned to be a key player in electric vehicles, the statement said.

UQM is based in Longmont, Colo., north of Denver.