Marko Dekena to lead Eleo

Eleo has announced that Marko Dekena will assume leadership of the company following the news that CEO Bas Verkaik will step down from his role and leave the company on May 31. Verkaik co-founded Eleo in 2017 alongside Bram van Diggelen and Jeroen Bleker, all three former students of Eindhoven University of Technology. Under Verkaik's leadership, the company established itself as a pioneer in battery technology for the off-highway segment.

Marko Dekena

“Building and leading Eleo has been one of the greatest honors of my life,” said Bas Verkaik. “I am incredibly proud of what we have accomplished together and I am confident that Eleo will continue to innovate in electrification. As 2025 will be a year of personal change for me, I’ll move forward with deep appreciation for all we’ve achieved together.”

Dekena, who has been appointed as the Head of Yanmar’s newly established Electrification Unit, reportedly brings a wealth of experience and expertise to this leadership position and is set to lead Eleo into its next phase of growth as part of Yanmar’s broader electrification strategy.

“I am honored to lead Eleo at such a pivotal time in the electrification industry,” Dekena said. “I look forward to working closely with our talented team to build on Eleo’s strong foundation and drive continued innovation as we tackle the challenges and opportunities ahead.”

As part of Yanmar’s new Electrification Unit, Eleo will transition to a dedicated research and development facility so that its battery expertise and capabilities could be leveraged across the Yanmar Group. Eleo, for its part, will utilize Yanmar’s resources and expertise to manufacture and deliver battery systems on a global scale. This supports Yanmar’s broader vision to offer integrated, zero-emission powertrain solutions across its industrial operations.

The transition has resulted in changes to Eleo’s operations and organizational structure. Because Eleo will serve as a dedicated R&D facility, its existing engineering capabilities will be enhanced, while large-scale production will be moved to other facilities within the Yanmar Group. For its R&D activities, the company will continue to operate from its current location in Helmond, the Netherlands, with the Eleo brand remaining in place for Yanmar’s battery products.

“Three years after we welcomed Yanmar as our majority shareholder, I am happy that we will continue our journey together while we embark on a new chapter for Eleo,” said Verkaik. “In an ever more competitive global market, Yanmar’s commitment to electrification is vital to achieve our shared goal of advancing the electrification of the off-highway industry on a global scale. The integration within Yanmar’s Electrification Unit marks a significant new phase for Eleo.”

Yanmar and Eleo said they are committed to facilitating a smooth transition for employees, clients and partners during this period of change. Yanmar said further details on the Electrification Unit and Eleo’s role will be shared as the integration process continues.