Canoo Inc. announced appointments of two leaders in electric mobility, public policy, clean energy, technology, and cybersecurity to the company?s Board of Directors. The appointments of Ms. Deborah Diaz and Mr. James Chen are effective immediately. Deborah B. Diaz previously served as former Chief Technology Officer and Deputy Chief Information Officer at National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and CIO for Science and Technology at U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Ms. Diaz currently serves on the board of directors of Archer Aviation, Primis Financial, and ZeroAvia. Ms. Diaz is also Chief Executive Officer of Catalyst ADV, a technology and strategic growth advisory firm. She brings decades of experience in government and corporate leadership with expertise in technology governance, cybersecurity, management of complex IT systems and infrastructure, and digital transformation to the Canoo Board of Directors.

James C. Chen is former Vice President of Regulatory Affairs & Deputy General Counsel at Tesla and former Vice President of Public Policy & Chief Regulatory Counsel at Rivian Automotive. Mr. Chen is currently a shareholder at the law firm of Babst, Calland, Clements and Zomnir in the firm?s transportation technology and energy practice. He brings extensive experience in designing and implementing solutions for complex legal, policy, and regulatory matters to the board.

Additionally, Ms. Josette Sheeran and Mr. Rainer Schmueckle are resigning from the Board of Directors with Ms. Sheeran leaving her role as President and moving to the role of strategic advisor to the CEO. The current independent members of the board include: Thomas Dattilo is an accomplished executive and advisor who held executive roles at several automotive industry companies, including CEO of Viper Motor Car Company, a Chrysler company, Chairman, President, and CEO of Cooper Tire & Rubber Company, and various senior positions with Dana Corporation. Mr. Dattilo is currently on the boards of L3 Harris Technologies and Haworth.

Claudia Romo Edelman is an award-winning social entrepreneur and a catalyst for positive change. She?s led marketing and advocacy initiatives for global organizations, including the United Nations, UNICEF, and the World Economic Forum. Currently she is Founder and CEO of We Are All Human Foundation, a foundation dedicated to advancing the agenda of equality, diversity, and inclusion.

Arthur Kingsbury has nearly five decades of experience in business, finance, and corporate governance. He has served on the boards of Solera Holdings, Dolan Media Co., Remark Holdings, NetRatings, Affiliated Publications, and McCaw Cellular Communications. Foster Chiang is former Vice Chairman of TPK Holding Co.

Currently he is on the board of TES Touch Embedded Solutions (Xiamen) Co. and a member of the Board of Trustees of the Taft School. Debra von Storch is a former Partner at Ernst & Young, where she specialized in advising early-stage to rapid-growth companies.

She currently serves as an advisory board member of Varidesk and a board member of the North Texas Chapter of the National Association of Corporate Directors.