QuantumScape loses manufacturing chief over management style mismatch – TechCrunch

Celina Mikolajczak, who has held senior roles at Tesla and Panasonic, resigned from QuantumScape less than a yr following taking the chief production officer placement at the stable-point out battery company, according to a regulatory submitting.

Mikolajczak and QuantumScape are parting strategies more than “differing management styles concerning the parties,” the filing with the U.S. Securities and Trade Fee states. Mikolajczak will go to an advisory function on the company’s scientific advisory board.

She intends to focus her profession on the enhancement of a completely U.S.-primarily based battery source chain, according to the filing.

Shares of QuantumScape fell 7.7% to shut at $10.15, close to its 52-7 days low of $10.

The departure wraps up a rapid and furious connection concerning the corporation and Mikolajczak.

A very little in excess of a year in the past, Mikolajczak took a board seat at QuantumScape. She was still vice president of battery technological innovation at Panasonic Strength of North America when she joined the board, telling TechCrunch at the time that her employer “graciously authorized her” to get the appointment.

A thirty day period later on, QuantumScape introduced Mikolajczak would sign up for the organization as vice president of manufacturing engineering, commencing in July. She resigned from the board in link with accepting the present. In her new position, Mikolajczak was charged with top the transition of the company’s applications and producing procedures from investigation and advancement to output, QuantumScape stated in a regulatory filing at the time.

The employing appeared to be a boon for both equally get-togethers.

QuantumScape, which had risen to buzzy prominence soon after Volkswagen Team invested additional than $500 million, struck a offer in September 2020 to merge with a special function acquisition corporation, Kensington Money Acquisition Corp. The money lifted by way of the community markets would give QuantumScape the improve it necessary to commercialize solid-point out batteries for electric autos.

Meanwhile, Mikolajczak experienced the sort of encounter QuantumScape would require to scale.

Mikolajczak has a extended heritage of researching and producing superior lithium-ion batteries. Her specialized consulting observe at Exponent concentrated on lithium-ion cell and battery security and high quality. She then took a senior administration placement at Tesla that was centered on cell excellent and products engineering. During her time at Tesla, Mikolajczak created the battery cells and packs for Tesla’s Product S, Product X, Design 3 and Roadster Refresh.

Soon after leaving Tesla, Mikolajczak went on to provide as director of engineering, concentrating on battery development for rideshare cars at Uber Systems. And in 2019, she joined Panasonic Electrical power of North The us, in which she was vice president of battery technological innovation. Although at Panasonic, Mikolajczak led a group focused on strengthening lithium-ion mobile producing and bringing the hottest cell technologies to mass generation for Tesla at the Gigafactory facility in Sparks, Nevada.