Ather Energy inducts ex-Ola execs Gurinder Singh Sukhija, Murali Sashidharan into management team

Electric two-wheeler maker Ather Energy on Wednesday announced the expansion of its senior management team, with the induction of Ola former executives Gurinder Singh Sukhija as head of ownership management and Murali Sashidharan as head of communications and government relations.

The appointments to the key positions are aimed at strengthening the leadership team as the company embarks on its next phase of growth, Ather Energy said in a statement.

With over 24 years of experience in diverse industries such as banking, telecom, infrastructure and transport networks, Sukhija was working with Ola as senior director and head for customer and partner support operations before taking up the current position at Ather.

He has held previous roles at CMS Infosystems, Transaction Solutions International, and Mphasis, among others, it said.

Sukhija's core expertise lies in customer support management across geographies and managing in-house and outsourcing partners, the company said.

"I am delighted to welcome Gurinder, whose rich experience across industries and functions will be super-useful in helping him take the Ather ownership experience to even greater heights.

"Gurinder will lead the customer service, vehicle service and ownership products verticals," said Ravneet Singh Phokela, chief business officer at Ather Energy.

Ather said it has registered strong year-on-year growth and expanded its retail footprint to 26 cities and It plans to expand to 100 cities with around 150 experience centres (retail outlets) by March 2023, the company said.

"Murali, with his extensive experience in corporate communication, will head the public relations function, leading media relations, influencer marketing and public affairs. He will also manage the interface with government and industry bodies. He brings a wealth of experience and will play a critical role in this high-growth phase for the brand.

"I am delighted to have both of them join us at this critical stage of our journey," Phokela said.

Murali's last assignment was with Ola where he managed the communications strategy for their mobility and electric businesses besides leading the communication mandate for Ola's launch in London.

Besides, he has also worked with Sony Pictures Network India and Royal Sundaram, among others, according to the company.