Bhattacharya to retire from RV maker Winnebago’s corporate VC role

Recreational vehicle maker Winnebago Industries’ head of corporate VC, Ashis Bhattacharya, is retiring later this year after a decade at the company.

“Ashis was one of the first key hires I made when coming to Winnebago Industries and since then has made a lasting, positive impact on almost every aspect of our company through his dedication to a customer-first approach,” said Winnebago’s CEO Michael Happe.

“I want to express my deep appreciation for his work and unwavering commitment to our mission. His legacy will be felt here for many years.” 

Bhattacharya joined Winnebago in 2016 as vice president for strategic planning and business development, and is currently vice president for advanced technology, enterprise engineering and corporate ventures.

He had a six-year stint at Honeywell, where he led a company-wide task force on connected systems and Internet-of-Things, and had also been VP for global marketing at motion control systems company Moog.

Bryan Hughes will take over leadership of the company’s corporate venturing programme as part of his wider role, which also includes being chief financial officer, investor relations, and information technology and business development.

Winnebago invested $60m in electric bus and truck retrofitter Motiv Power Systems – in which Bhattacharya was a board observer –  in 2019. It more recently backed vehicle commerce platform provider Ekho as part of a $15m series A round last month.