Vernon-based battery maker Romeo Power Inc. has named Susan Brennan, a veteran of the renewable energy and auto industries, as chief executive and president, the company announced Aug. 6.

Brennan replaces Lionel Selwood, who served nearly one year as CEO, helping take the company public through a SPAC merger in December. 

Selwood, who is leaving to pursue other opportunities, replaced Romeo Power founder Michael Patterson, who left the company earlier this year to take the helm of another startup, Venice-based Battle Motors Inc.

Romeo Power, which Patterson founded in 2016, makes electric batteries, chiefly for medium- and long-haul commercial truck vehicles. The company manufactures the lithium-ion batteries at a 113,000-square-foot plant in Vernon.

In December, Romeo Power went public through a merger with RMG Acquisition Corp., a SPAC. It trades on the New York Stock Exchange under ticker symbol RMO. Shares closed on Aug. 6 – after the CEO announcement – down 22 cents to $6.64, a drop of about 3%.

Brennan, who will officially become Romeo Power’s chief executive on Aug. 16, has 30 years of experience in both the renewable energy and auto industries. She most recently was chief operating officer at San Jose-based Bloom Energy Corp., a fuel cell and microgrid solutions provider. 

Prior to that, Brennan was vice president of manufacturing at Nissan Motor Co., and before that, she held multiple executive posts at Ford Motor Co. Brennan joined the board of Romeo Power in December, as it was going public.

“I am grateful for this opportunity to lead Romeo Power in its revolutionary effort to provide clean battery technology for the commercial and industrial transportation industry,” Brennan said in the announcement. “I am deeply impressed by Romeo Power’s commitment to EV battery innovation and sustainability … I look forward to working together in this new role as we help electrify our nation’s commercial vehicle fleets.”