Brendan Jones, the president and CEO of Blink Charging Co. (NASDAQ: BLNK), is leaving the top role at the Bowie electric vehicle charging company at the end of January.
Blink, which manufactures electric vehicle charging devices and operates EV charging stations, said Wednesday that Jones will be succeeded by Mike Battaglia, the company’s current chief operating officer.
Battaglia is based in Southern California and will relocate to Greater Washington for the chief executive role, the company said.
“When I joined Blink in early 2020, my plan was to lead the company for five years,” Jones said in a statement. “As that time approaches, I will officially step down as president and CEO as part of my planned retirement. However, I will continue to support Blink as an active board member and adviser through July 2025.”
He added that his decision to step away was influenced by his belief in the company’s current leadership team to lead Blink going forward.
Today, the company is the third-largest operator of charging stations in the U.S., behind Tesla and ChargePoint, and the second-largest manufacturer of EV plugs.
Battaglia joined Blink in 2020 as vice president of sales and was subsequently promoted to chief revenue officer and then to his current COO role.
Prior to joining Blink, Battaglia worked at JD Power, a consumer intelligence company, for 14 years. He’s also previously held roles at electronics and software company SmartDisk and Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A.
Blink said the selection of Battaglia followed a succession planning process conducted by the company’s board.
“We have been diligently preparing for this leadership change to ensure Blink’s continued success,” Jones said in a statement. “Mike has been a vital part of our growth, contributing across sales, operations and strategic enablement. His deep understanding of our business combined with his trusted relationships with both the executive team and external stakeholders make him the ideal successor.”
Battaglia said in a statement the company is “optimistic about the opportunities ahead” in the EV industry and that he’s committed to advancing Blink’s position.
In the last few months, Blink has struck agreements to add charging stations in public buildings across the U.S., build an EV charging network across New York state and electrify the fleet of England’s largest dedicated parcel delivery company. Earlier this month, it was honored as a winner of DC Inno’s Fire Awards.
Blink said it posted $140.6 million in revenue across 2023, up from just $3 million in 2019. It expanded its manufacturing facility in Bowie earlier this year and plans to ramp up hiring to scale its production at Melford Town Center.
Blink landed in Bowie in 2022 when it acquired the EV charging company SemaConnect Inc. for $200 million. At the time it was headquartered in Miami, but formally moved its headquarters to Bowie in March, thanks in part to $1.6 million in loans, grants and tax incentives it received from Maryland.
