Nikola Corp. has announced the hiring of a new chief operating officer, Mary Chan, who will lead the company’s engineering, product, and manufacturing teams, among others, starting on October 9.

Chan brings extensive experience to her new role, having previously served as the president of the global connected consumer group at General Motors and as a senior vice president at Dell.

In a written statement, Chan expressed her excitement to join Nikola and contribute to the advancement of zero-emissions trucking and related infrastructure. She emphasized her dedication to pioneering smart transportation and wireless communications throughout her career.

During her time at General Motors, Chan led the successful launch of 4G LTE connectivity across multiple brands in various regions. She has received recognition in the industry as the “Top Woman in Wireless” by Fierce Wireless. Additionally, she has worked as a managing partner at VectoIQ LLC, which facilitated Nikola’s public listing through a special purpose acquisition company in 2020.

Chan’s appointment comes at a crucial juncture for Nikola as the company is undergoing leadership changes with Steve Girsky taking over as the new CEO. Nikola is also addressing a recall affecting all 209 of its battery-electric vehicles currently on the road.

Despite these challenges, Nikola remains committed to delivering its hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, which are scheduled to begin production this month, unaffected by the recall.

Similar to other electric vehicle startups, Nikola is facing financial constraints and recently obtained shareholder approval to increase its authorized shares. This measure aims to support the development of its hydrogen fuel cell truck and a hydrogen production project to sustain the vehicle.

As of June 30, the company had six months’ worth of cash remaining.