AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Hyliion Inc. (Hyliion), a leader in electrified powertrain solutions for Class 8 commercial vehicles that has entered into a business combination agreement to merge with Tortoise Acquisition Corp. (TortoiseCorp) (NYSE: SHLL), today announced that Robert M. Knight Jr. will join the board of directors of the combined company upon the closing of the merger. Knight’s appointment is subject to TortoiseCorp shareholder approval.
Knight served as the chief financial officer of Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE: UNP), a transportation company that primarily operates one of the largest railroads in North America, from 2004 until his retirement in 2019. During that period, he was ranked as the Best CFO in the buy-side category of combined airfreight and surface transportation by Institutional Investor for the sixth consecutive year in its 2019 All-American Executive Team list.
“Rob Knight is well known and highly regarded as a top CFO in the transportation sector and we feel privileged that he has agreed to join our board,” said Thomas Healy, CEO and founder of Hyliion. “He brings decades of public company experience, and his knowledge of strategy development and finance in the transportation industry will be of immense benefit to Hyliion.”
Knight will serve as the chair of the audit committee. His appointment will bring the combined entity’s board to a total of seven members.
“Having spent my career in transportation, I share Hyliion’s vision for developing renewable natural gas-powered solutions and believe in the commercial potential of electrified powertrains,” Knight said. “I am delighted to be part of the company’s future.”
Upon the closing of Hyliion’s business combination with TortoiseCorp, Knight will join the other proposed members: Thomas Healy, CEO of Hyliion; Vince Cubbage, managing director at Tortoise Capital Advisors and CEO and chairman of TortoiseCorp; Stephen Pang, managing director and portfolio manager at Tortoise Capital Advisors and director of TortoiseCorp; Ed Olkkola, managing director at Teakwood Capital; Howard Jenkins, former chairman and CEO of Publix Super Markets; and Andrew H. Card Jr., former White House chief of staff and U.S. secretary of transportation.
Knight also serves as a director of Schneider National, Inc. (NYSE: SNDR), a transportation and logistics company, and Carrix, Inc., a privately held marine terminal and rail operator company. He joined Union Pacific in 1980 and held numerous leadership positions in the company prior to being named its CFO. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Kansas State University and a master’s degree in business administration from Southern Illinois University.
For more information on Hyliion, visit www.hyliion.com.
About Hyliion
Headquartered in Austin, Texas, Hyliion’s mission is to reduce the carbon intensity and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of commercial transportation Class 8 vehicles by being the leading provider of electrified powertrain solutions. Leveraging advanced software algorithms and data analytics capabilities, Hyliion offers fleets an easy, efficient system to decrease fuel and operating expenses while seamlessly integrating with their existing fleet operations. It designs, develops and sells electrified powertrain solutions that are designed to be installed on most major Class 8 commercial vehicles, with the goal of transforming the commercial transportation industry’s environmental impact at scale. For more information, visit www.hyliion.com.
