Proterra Inc. recently announced the addition of Matt Horton as vice president of sales. This California-based position is designed to lead the overall sales effort for this rapidly growing company, with special emphasis on strategic sales and the California market.
An experienced company builder with a passion for growing sustainable businesses, Horton comes to Proterra with a wealth of industry experience, including five years at leading alternative fuels retailer Propel Fuels Inc., where he served as CEO. Over the course of his career he has served as an operating executive, venture capitalist and investment banker, working with dozens of start-ups and emerging growth companies and developing excellent working relationships with government officials, NGOs and industry influencers.
“In Matt, we have found an innovative, driven and customer-focused sales leader to help us further develop and integrate our rapid-growth sales strategy,” said Proterra CEO Ryan Popple. “While we are selling and operating our buses throughout the country, California, for obvious reasons, is a very attractive and important market for Proterra and the EV industry in general. With his cleantech experience and close ties to the state, we feel Matt is a natural choice to help spearhead our efforts there.”
As part of his new role at Proterra, Horton will work on enhancing and employing a comprehensive sales strategy for the company. His strong ties to and relationships within the State of California, will allow him to provide in-depth attention to this critical market, focusing heavily on government relations, business funding and securing new orders.
“Electrification is the logical end game for the transportation industry,” said Horton. “While light-duty EVs make sense for many consumers, the heavy-duty transportation industry has the most to gain from making the switch to EV. The technology in this market is already cost-competitive and commercially viable, and I am confident that the results in this sector will help push more mainstream adoption of EV technology. I consider myself fortunate to have a role in helping improve our environment and helping to achieve American energy independence.”