Fisker Hires Former Ford, Dana Executive Yost as CFO

(Corrects name of Dana Holding Corp. (DAN) in first paragraph of story published July 2.)

Fisker Automotive Inc., a maker of luxury plug-in hybrid cars, hired a former Ford Motor Co. (F) and Dana Holding Corp. executive as its chief financial officer as the company works to overcome funding and quality challenges.

Jim Yost, who was CFO for auto-parts maker Dana from 2008 until May, takes on the same job for Anaheim, California-based Fisker, the carmaker said in a statement today. Yost will report to Chief Executive Tom LaSorda and Henrik Fisker, Fisker’s executive chairman and co-founder.

“Jim’s extensive financial, operational and strategic skills as well as international experience will be a tremendous asset as we continue to expand the global reach of the Karma sedan and prepare the path for the next-generation Atlantic sedan’” LaSorda said in the statement.

Yost’s hiring follows the appointment in February of LaSorda, a former CEO of the predecessor of Chrysler Group LLC, as Fisker turns to auto industry veterans to aid operations. The closely held company that received $529 million in U.S. loans to engineer and build rechargeable cars, is fixing battery-pack glitches in its Karma model and trying to regain access to federal funds for a Delaware factory after missing delivery deadlines.

Yost will replace Joe DaMour, who remains a special adviser to the company, said Russell Datz, a spokesman for Fisker, by telephone. Yost began his career at Ford, where he worked for 27 years, serving in senior- and executive-level finance roles in North America, Europe and South America, Fisker said in the statement.

To contact the reporter on this story: Alan Ohnsman in Los Angeles at aohnsman@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Bill Koenig at wkoenig@bloomberg.net