Janus Electric Holdings Ltd (ASX:JNS) has made two senior appointments as it continues to strengthen its leadership bench for the next stage of growth, bringing in operational electric vehicle expertise and high-level energy infrastructure and governance experience.
The company has appointed Simon Fitzgerald as general manager production and engineering and Michael Cummings as senior adviser to the board, with both hires aligned to Janus’ push to broaden its commercial deployment and support expansion into adjacent fleet electrification markets.
“Simon’s appointment is significant and he brings deep, hands-on experience in designing, building and deploying electric commercial vehicles, and is widely recognised for his work in the Australian electric bus sector," Janus Electric CEO and MD, Ben Hutt said.
“His expertise strengthens our capability at a critical point as we scale beyond heavy freight into adjacent electrification markets.”
Production and engineering capability bolstered
Fitzgerald joins Janus with a background in electric commercial vehicles and large-scale vehicle platform delivery, adding hands-on operational and engineering capability as the company develops its electrification offering.
He most recently served as head of engineering at Custom Denning, where he oversaw development of a new generation of Australian-designed electric buses and held responsibility across product, engineering, production and supply chain. Janus said his experience in electric bus deployment and commercially viable vehicle platforms would support its broader move into the fleet segment beyond heavy freight. The company also noted he has previously held senior management roles in the global automotive sector.
“The electrification of commercial transport is accelerating, and Janus is well-positioned with a practical, scalable solution. I’m excited to join the team and help extend that capability of the business and support our customers with world-class products,” Fitzgerald said:
Board gains energy transition and governance depth
Cummings brings more than 30 years of experience across the energy, infrastructure and transport sectors in Australia, New Zealand, the United States and the United Kingdom, giving Janus added strategic and governance depth as it scales.
His background includes board and chair roles across energy networks, airports and clean technology businesses, with previous directorships including Endeavour Energy, Powerco, Melbourne Airport, WA Gas Networks and Natural Gas Pipeline Company, as well as chair roles at Evergen, TasGas Networks and Cross Sound Cable.
Cummings brings expertise in the energy transition, spanning network infrastructure investment, large-scale battery storage and technology-enabled energy platforms, along with capital allocation and governance experience across listed, private and government-owned organisations. In his role as senior adviser, he will provide strategic, commercial and governance advice to the board and executive team, including on strategy development and broader corporate initiatives.
The appointments come as Janus works to extend its fleet electrification model across vehicle conversion, battery infrastructure and network deployment, while strengthening the governance and operational capability needed to support a growing business.