How to Hire a CEO in Automotive & EV: What Boards and Investors Should Look For

As Global Head of Research & Leadership Advisory at JRG Partners, I wrote this guide for boards and investors on how to hire a CEO in Automotive & EV. The sector is a legacy industry undergoing the most profound transformation in its history, as electrification, software-defined vehicles, and new manufacturing footprints reshape which leadership capabilities actually create value, and the CEO profile that succeeds in it is specific: a leader who can manage the legacy business’s cash generation while executing an electrification and software transformation, comfortable bidding for technology talent the industry never previously needed.

The Automotive & EV CEO Mandate in 2026

Before assessing candidates, boards should agree what the next three to five years demand. In Automotive & EV, that context is shaped by three forces: The shift to electric and software-defined vehicles demands leaders who bridge century-old manufacturing with technology-company capabilities. EV and battery plant investments at historic scale require manufacturing leaders with launch-and-ramp experience. Supply-chain rewiring around batteries, semiconductors, and critical minerals demands new sourcing and operations leadership. The right CEO is defined by which of these the company must navigate most urgently.

What to Look For in a Automotive & EV CEO

The profile that succeeds is a leader who can manage the legacy business’s cash generation while executing an electrification and software transformation, comfortable bidding for technology talent the industry never previously needed. Concretely, boards should probe for manufacturing launch-and-ramp experience at plant scale; software and electronics fluency in a hardware culture; supply-chain command through the industry’s structural rewiring; quality leadership in safety-critical, high-volume production.

Where Automotive & EV CEOs Come From

The strongest candidates are drawn from OEMs and tier-one suppliers (manufacturing and engineering depth); technology and software companies (for software-defined-vehicle leadership); battery and cleantech ventures (electrification expertise); aerospace and industrials (for launch and quality leadership). Boards should map all of these pools rather than defaulting to obvious internal or direct-competitor candidates.

The Board’s Role in the Search

A CEO search is the board’s most consequential act. The failure patterns are consistent: mandate ambiguity that surfaces at finalist stage, over-weighting charisma over the specific capabilities the sector demands, rushing or drifting the process, and neglecting rigorous referencing under time pressure. Boards that align on the mandate in writing, run a structured assessment, and reference beyond the candidate-supplied list consistently outperform.

Compensation and Closing the Automotive & EV CEO

Traditional OEM and supplier packages emphasize cash and pension-style benefits, while EV and technology-adjacent roles pull compensation toward equity to compete with technology employers; software and battery leadership command the sharpest premiums as legacy players bid against tech and startups. The CEO package must reflect the sector’s ownership structure and the profile’s scarcity, and the close depends as much on the mandate’s credibility as on the number. Our Automotive & EV executive compensation report details the benchmarks.

Related Automotive & EV Resources

See also Automotive & EV executive search guide, Automotive & EV top 10 in-demand roles, Automotive & EV executive compensation report.

Tanya Gallardo

Managing Director, Executive Search & AI Talent Strategy

Tanya Gallardo is the Managing Director of Executive Search & AI Talent Strategy at JRG Partners, leading C-suite and Board engagements across key growth sectors including Technology, Financial Services, and Manufacturing.

With over 18 years of experience specializing in disruptive technology leadership, Tanya is recognized as a leading authority on talent architecture for future-focused executive roles, such as the Chief AI Officer (CAIO) and Chief Digital Officer (CDO). Her expertise lies in accurately assessing the cultural fit and technical depth required to ensure a high return on investment (ROI) for critical leadership appointments.

Prior to her role at JRG Partners, Tanya held senior roles directing global talent acquisition strategies at a major publicly-traded technology firm, advising on organizational design and succession planning for emerging executive functions. She is a recognized speaker and contributor to industry events, sharing data-driven insights on executive compensation, leadership development, and the measurable business impact of C-suite talent.

Connect with Tanya to discuss your executive search needs.