BrazilZeroLight appoints Ralf Kalmbach as non-executive chairman
Ralf Kalmbach, a partner at Bain & Company, has been appointed as non-executive chairman at ZeroLight, a UK-based automotive visual effects company.
The German national has more than 30 years of consulting experience with a focus in the international automotive industry. He currently is a Munich-based partner at Bain & Company, where he is the co-leader of the firm’s global Automotive practice and an expert in its Advanced Manufacturing & Services practice. He previously served consultancies Kearney and Roland Berger.
Kalmbach has extensive experience advising global car manufacturers as well as suppliers. He specialises in topics related to brand and technology strategies, vehicle architecture and modularisation strategies, organisation, mergers & acquisitions, due diligence and innovation.
Alongside his role at the strategy consulting firm, Kalmbach is using his expertise in brand and technology to provide strategic input on ZeroLight’s future direction. ZeroLight has been providing an increasing number of carmakers with advanced digital sales and marketing platforms, with Volkswagen, Mitsubishi and Lucid Motors among its clients.
On his appointment, Ralf Kalmbach said: “Automotive retail is undergoing seismic change, driven by digitalisation and the continued empowerment of the consumer. I’ve been impressed by ZeroLight’s ability to develop solutions that firmly place its OEM clients as leaders in the move to online and direct sales, whether that’s for mass-market brands or electrical vehicle disruptors.”
Darren Jobling, CEO at ZeroLight added: “ZeroLight has carved a unique position for itself working with manufacturers in the auto retail space, and we’re looking to capitalise on the major changes taking place in the industry. It’s an honour to have Ralf on board as non-executive chairman and his experience and insight will give us a strategic edge.”
Along with its appointment of Kalmbach, ZeroLight has significantly expanded its core team over the past year to meet the demand for its services. The company has been helping US-based luxury EV brand Lucid Motors bring its direct sales platform to life visually, with the recent launch of ‘Lucid Studio Live’.
ZeroLight’s tech enables online sessions to take place between Lucid’s trained product experts and prospective customers as they are guided through a shared configuration experience that blends the intimacy of the dealership with the convenience of an online configurator.
