TEAM
together on OUR JOURNEY
HVS is driven by its team, with each colleague working to a shared vision to revolutionise heavy duty transport and bring zero-emission hydrogen fuel cell commercial vehicles to market
The Executive management team
Abdul Waheed
Founder and CEO
Tech entrepreneur with 25+ years’ start-up leadership – delivering traction, scale and exits.
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Abdul is a talent scout and team builder with a passion for optimisation and systems architecture. Before founding HVS, he launched, scaled, and successfully exited several tech startups, including Techstar (hardware and software engineering), Property Safety (autonomous safety certification), and Time Tracker (cloud-based employee attendance tracking).
These ventures gave him end-to-end entrepreneurial experience and laid the foundation for HVS, which he founded in 2017. Recognising the critical role of intellectual property, he became HVS’s Chief Innovation Officer in 2020, designing the IP strategy that led to the creation of AI-SEMAS®, a breakthrough emissions reduction technology.
Dr Charles Stone
Executive Chairman
A world-renowned expert in proton exchange membrane fuel cell technology and holds 15 fuel cell patents.
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Dr Stone holds a PhD and a dual MBA (UCLA–NUS). He began his career in 1990 at Ballard Power Systems as a research scientist, rising to Vice-President, R&D by 2002, where he led fuel-cell development and drove OEM adoption with partners including Daimler and Ford. In 2007 he founded Eon Consultants Ltd, advising governments, corporates and venture investors on clean-energy strategy, technology and partnerships. A published author in peer-reviewed journals, he has been involved with HVS since its foundation in 2017 — and has worked full-time since 2021 on fuel-cell supplier selection and the development of AI-SEMAS™.
Dr. David Telford
Chief Scientific Officer
A nuclear physicist who began his career at the UK Fast Reactor and is a Fellow of the Energy Institute.
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David holds a BSc, PhD, and CEng and has been with HVS since its inception, driving its mission to transform the Heavy Goods Vehicle market with sustainable, low-carbon solutions.
David’s expertise spans low-carbon innovations across heat, power, and transport, encapsulated in his "NetZero3" concept, which integrates renewable energy, smart energy systems, and demand storage to achieve net-zero goals. Notably, he designed and delivered net-zero heating and power systems for the £333M Aberdeen Event Complex.
At HVS, he invented the proprietary AI-SEMAS™ technology, optimising efficiency with up to 14% fuel savings for hydrogen trucks, 10% energy savings for battery vehicles, and 5% fuel savings for diesel trucks.
Jawad Khursheed
Board Advisor
A highly successful entrepreneur and executive professional with +19 years of cumulative experience in business development.
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Under his direction, HVS has not only secured significant investments but also successfully delivered multiple vehicles and government-funded projects, positioning the company as a trailblazer in its sector. Jawad's strategic vision has been instrumental in propelling HVS towards the manufacturing stage, marking a pivotal milestone in the company's evolution.
Under Jawad's astute guidance, HVS has thrived, evidenced by the development of cutting-edge vehicle technology programs and the establishment of an impressive intellectual property portfolio. His leadership has enabled the team to achieve notable milestones, including the creation of four ground-breaking vehicle technology demonstrators. Jawad's unwavering commitment to innovation and strategic foresight has been instrumental in shaping HVS into an industry leader, driving the organisation towards a future defined by continued growth, innovation, and success.
Stephanie Thomson
Chief Commercial Officer
A leader with 7+ years at HVS, progressing from operations into Business Development, HR and Corporate Services to her current executive role.
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Now driving revenue, partnerships and go-to-market execution.
Stephanie leads licensing and enterprise sales for AI-SEMAS™, secures fleet pilots and delivery partnerships, and oversees bids, tenders and contracting to convert trials into scale deployments. Known for cost discipline and cross-functional execution, she helps align product, engineering and customers to accelerate commercial rollout while maintaining robust governance and compliance.
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Steve Fletcher
Chief Technical Officer
Has over 20 years of international experience in automotive engineering development and delivery.
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Most recent assignments include leading the Sports Cars engineering delivery at Lotus Cars and supporting the delivery of the REE P7-C advanced BEV Light Commercial Vehicle. Steve's career has led between OEM, ESP, and Tier 1 supplier roles, including positions at Jaguar Land Rover, Tata Motors, Penso Consulting, Tata Technologies, Lotus Cars, and REE.
The things we live by
We get things done
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We cut through hype and speculation with a practical, hands-on approach. We embrace all ideas but set realistic objectives we can tackle together.
We love the work
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We love what we do, and we put our heart and soul into engineering change. We care about doing the right thing every time, bringing warmth, passion and commitment to all our endeavours.
We bring the best
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Our strong, experienced and highly diverse team is dedicated to change, and collaborates to create something greater than the sum of its parts.
We push ideas further
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We’re optimistic and future-facing. We truly believe that people have the capacity to take on life’s biggest challenges and discover the things that drive us forward.
Our Commitment to Diversity
At HVS we are committed to building a highly diverse team by way of backgrounds, gender and age.
01
DIVERSITY
We aim to build a diverse mix of highly-qualified and collaborative individuals whom are dedicated to change and making a meaningful difference.
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collectively
This enables us to take on the biggest technical challenges and discover the things that collectively drive us forward.
03
inclusivity
Our commitment to inclusivity gives everyone the greatest opportunities to excel in what they do best and drives a high performing workplace.
WE’RE HIRING
Are you a talented engineer or a brilliant sales person? Have you got a head for project management or a love of finance?
We’d love to hear from you.
If you would like to be part of the HVS Family, please feel free to leave your CV with us: