Blink Charging Announces Corporate Leadership Promotions, Naming Mike Battaglia COO, Jim Nemec CRO and Siddhartha Kodgi VP Operations

EV Charging Leader Builds Upon Synergies, Production and Cost Efficiencies as Electric Vehicle Market Continues to Expand Globally

Miami Beach, Fla., Sept. 18, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- (NASDAQ: BLNK) (“Blink”), a global leading manufacturer, owner, operator and provider of electric vehicle (EV) charging equipment and services, today announced the Blink Board of Directors has approved changes made to Blink’s executive leadership team with the appointment of Michael Battaglia, (formerly Chief Revenue Officer) as Chief Operations Officer; Jim Nemec, (formerly VP Sales and Business Development) as Chief Revenue Officer; and Siddhartha Kodgi, (formerly Sr. Director Operations) as Vice President of Operations. The Company also announced the departure of Mark Pastrone from his role as Chief Operations Officer.

Following its record Q2 earnings announcement of nearly $33 million, the strongest in Company history, Blink will continue to focus on enhancing and building upon its strong synergies following the acquisition of six companies over the last three years. Blink will remain committed to driving cost efficiencies, revenue generation, in-house production, customer service enhancements, and market share gains.

“These are exciting times for Blink and the industry, and these leadership moves will enable the Company to continue its steady growth as we tap into the expertise and skill sets of these seasoned professionals. We are saddened to see Mark leave the Company following his long career within our industry, and we thank him for his contributions and the positive impact he has had,” said Brendan Jones, President and Chief Executive Officer of Blink Charging. “We are proud to have Mike, Jim and Siddhartha lead our efforts delivering exceptional customer experiences and increased productivity for Blink.”

Mr. Jones continued, “Together, this formidable team helps solidify us as one company, provides bottom line savings and is dedicated to building a vertically integrated EV infrastructure, globally.”

Mr. Battaglia previously served as Blink’s Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) since December 2022 and will assume the position of Chief Operations Officer (COO), succeeding the outgoing Pastrone. Moving forward, Mr. Battaglia will oversee Blink’s sales, business development and all aspects of operations, playing a vital role in the Company’s expansion in the U.S. and globally. Prior to joining Blink, Mr. Battaglia served as Vice President of Sales at JD Power.

“I am honored to take on this new role during a time of significant growth for Blink. There is great opportunity for the Company, and I look forward to working with my colleagues around the world to help bring Blink to the next level of excellence in the EV charging market,” said Battaglia. “I remain hyper-focused and committed to optimizing Blink’s operations, and to produce quality charging equipment and providing a best-in-class customer experience.”

Mr. Nemec has served as Vice President of Sales and Business Development for Blink since 2022, increasing revenues and building strong relationships in both the private and public sectors. He previously served as Director of Channel & Government Sales for SemaConnect, which was acquired by Blink in 2022. In his new capacity, Mr. Nemec will oversee Blink’s global sales organization, develop go-to-market strategies, and identify global expansion opportunities.

“Blink has been a leader in the industry, and I’m excited to have this opportunity to lead and advance our mission and bring Blink to the next stage of growth. Having worked side-by-side with Mike and Siddhartha, I look forward to continuing our team’s success and developing new markets as we advance electrification around the world,” said Nemec.

Mr. Kodgi has served as Sr. Director of Operations since 2022, following Blink’s acquisition of SemaConnect, where he had served since 2015. Prior to the acquisition, Mr. Kodgi was responsible for managing field services, design services, production, and supply chain for SemaConnect.

“I look forward to applying my passion for technology, scaling operations and driving efficiencies in this new role and to working with my colleagues to continue to lead the industry in EV charging solutions,” commented Kodgi.

Mr. Pastrone has served as COO for Blink since December 2022, following its acquisition of SemaConnect and has played a key role in building synergies and operational efficiencies for customer service, installation operations, and charger production. Prior to his role at SemaConnect, Pastrone worked in the aerospace industry, and led the development of several commercial space ventures at Orbital Sciences Corporation including GeoEye, which was acquired by Maxar.

Battaglia, Nemec and Kodgi are part of an accomplished executive management team, comprised of an unparalleled group of industry experts at all levels of management throughout the Blink organization. The industry as a whole will benefit from the amassed talent that includes Blink’s President and CEO, Brendan Jones and a former EV executive at Nissan, Electrify America and Evgo, along with Ritsaart Van Montfrans, Blink Director and the former owner and CEO of New Motion; and Harjinder Bhade, Blink CTO and a founder of ChargePoint. This dynamic team of EV industry leaders, along with the highly experienced Blink senior management, position Blink as a formidable provider of EV solutions and establishes Blink as a leader in the industry.

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About Blink Charging

Blink Charging Co. (Nasdaq: BLNK), a global leader in electric vehicle (EV) charging equipment, has contracted, sold, or deployed nearly 78,000 charging ports worldwide, many of which are networked EV charging stations, enabling EV drivers to easily charge at any of Blink’s charging locations. Blink’s principal line of products and services includes the Blink EV charging network (“Blink Network”), EV charging equipment, EV charging services, and the products and services of recent acquisitions, including SemaConnect, Blue Corner, BlueLA and Envoy. The Blink Network uses proprietary, cloud-based software that operates, maintains, and tracks the EV charging stations connected to the network and the associated charging data. With global EV purchases forecasted to half of passenger cars sold in the US by 2030, Blink has established key strategic partnerships for rolling out adoption across numerous location types, including parking facilities, multifamily residences and condos, workplace locations, health care/medical facilities, schools and universities, airports, auto dealers, hotels, mixed-use municipal locations, parks and recreation areas, religious institutions, restaurants, retailers, stadiums, supermarkets, and transportation hubs.

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Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements as defined within Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These forward-looking statements, and terms such as “anticipate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “will,” “should” or other comparable terms, involve risks and uncertainties because they relate to events and depend on circumstances that will occur in the future. Those statements include statements regarding the intent, belief or current expectations of Blink Charging and members of its management, as well as the assumptions on which such statements are based. Prospective investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties, including those described in Blink Charging’s periodic reports filed with the SEC, and that actual results may differ materially from those contemplated by such forward-looking statements. Except as required by federal securities law, Blink Charging undertakes no obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements to reflect changed conditions.

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