When Gurjeet Grewal stepped up as CEO of Octopus EV, there was a three-month window to prove the point. Gurjeet set a deliberately ambitious target for March plate-change, and the business posted the biggest month in its history.
Paul and JC hear how Gurjeet got there, from investment banking and leveraged finance to lean startups and then Octopus. Gurjeet credits curiosity to childhood summers with family on other continents, and grit to a mother who worked multiple jobs.
They also get into the business. Octopus EV has built the UK's largest EV-only fleet, consumer leasing now makes up a quarter of monthly orders, and it's launching in Germany. Gurjeet explains why only 14% of people believe home charging beats petrol on cost, and what the industry needs to do differently.
In this episode:
Treating the first three months as CEO as an audition
Why networking should never be transactional
Consumer leasing, used EVs and getting cars to everyday drivers
Helping more people of colour into senior roles
A magic wand wish the show hasn't heard before
Connect with Gurjeet: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gurjeetgrewallon/
Octopus Electric Vehicles: https://octopusev.com