New Delhi: Chinese electric car company NextEV has hired Cisco Systems Inc's former tech head, Padmasree Warrior, as its chief development officer and the chief executive of its US unit. 

Warrior, a tech industry veteran who featured in Forbes magazine's "World's 100 Most Powerful Women" list thrice, was Cisco's chief technology and strategy officer until September. She has also been the chief technology officer of Motorola. 

NextEV, seen as a rival to Tesla Motors Inc, said on Wednesday  that Warrior would be responsible for the "brains of NextEV's autonomous, electric vehicles and the overall user experience." 

NextEV is backed by a group of deep-pocketed China-based investors including Tencent Holdings Ltd and Hillhouse Capital, which is also an investor in US ride-sharing service company Uber. 

Read more on The Economic Times here