Fractional CPO | Interim Head of Product
Mohammed Cherifi
Mohammed Cherifi is a Fractional CPO and Interim Head of Product for robotics, autonomous systems and industrial AI.
One primary identity, one method.
Mohammed's mandate is Fractional CPO or Interim Head of Product for Physical AI. Where an engagement extends into AI portfolio priorities or system-architecture authority, it does so inside that one product-leadership role and under the decision rights written at the start — not as a second executive title. The method remains one integrated product system.
Product leadership with technology depth
Founder career evidence — roles held at former employers, not Hyperion client engagements.
Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi
Mohammed led a 64-person Product Management / Product Owner function, directly managed up to 40 people, coordinated a 96-person product/software organisation and managed a €25M programme budget.
NDS / Cisco
He progressed from software engineering to Senior Program Manager and functionally led three Scrum teams on connected video and device platforms deployed at 100M+ scale.
ABB E-mobility
He led four Product Marketers across Europe and North America for the A200/A300/A400 charging family and legacy/new OS Charging software.
Founder career · attested · see the evidence register
Four technical eras, one continuous thread
From embedded foundations to embodied, open-weight AI
Embedded foundations
NDS / Cisco
Embedded Linux, Android and open-source integration for production connected-device platforms.
Software-defined mobility
Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi
Connected vehicles, software-defined platforms and OTA — connected-services product leadership (Renault OpenR Link, NissanConnect).
Physical infrastructure
ABB E-mobility
Software-defined EV charging and industrial infrastructure — edge operations, fleet and service operations.
Embodied & open-weight AI
Hyperion
Auralink, Reachy-LeRobot, robotics, VLM/VLA, Mistral and open-weight intelligence — edge and on-premise, with safety and governance.
The Physical AI Career
17+ years of software engineering, product, and leadership at NDS/Cisco, Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi, and ABB E-mobility — where software meets the physical world.
NDS / Cisco Systems
Senior Program Manager
100M+ scale | 3 continents
- System layer: COMPUTE + ORCHESTRATE — network & video infrastructure platforms, software-defined systems
- NDS/Cisco video platforms deployed at 100M+ scale via set-top boxes across Europe, North America, and Asia
- Shipped an Android TV integration for pay-TV operators. Embedded Linux and open-source integration
- 9 years from intern to Senior Program Manager. Code in production, not just in presentations
Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi
Deputy General Manager, Connected Car Services — RNM Alliance
NissanConnect | Renault OpenR Link | Connected Services
- System layer: CONNECT + REASON — software-defined mobility platform, AI-powered connected services
- Product leadership on the NissanConnect connected-services programme and on the Google built-in head unit (OpenR Link)
- Connected-vehicle services across 13 Renault, Nissan and Mitsubishi vehicle programmes — 39 countries, 7M+ connected vehicles
- Recovered NissanConnect Services from nine months behind plan to on-time delivery
- Promoted 4 times. Led cross-functional teams across France, India, and Japan
ABB E-mobility
Product Marketing (Jun 2024–Jun 2025)
- System layer: ACT + ORCHESTRATE — EV charging infrastructure, software-defined charging networks
- Led a four-person Product Marketing team across Europe and North America
- A200/A300/A400 charging family at 200/300/400 kW, and Product Marketing for the A400 launch
- Legacy and new global OS Charging software
- The A400's iF Gold (UI), iF (UX) and Red Dot Product Design awards are ABB product and team recognitions.
Executive Education
Executive education from UC Berkeley, MIT, and Kellogg. Each credential backs a specific capability I bring to your engagement.
Certificate of Business Excellence
UC Berkeley Haas School of Business
Eight professional certificates — Data Science, Systems Engineering, Cybersecurity, IoT
MIT Professional Education
Product Management Certification
Kellogg Executive Education, Northwestern University
Certified Agile Leadership I; Certified Scrum Product Owner (2017–2023)
Scrum Alliance
MSc Networks & Telecommunications
Paris-Saclay University
Engineering Degree in Computer Science (AI & Data Science)
University of Oran
Recognition & Appointments
Industry recognition and leadership appointments
- Public technical preprint — 'Autonomous Edge-Deployed AI Agents for Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Management' (arxiv.org/abs/2603.08736). A preprint that has not been through journal peer review; its results are a controlled-environment evaluation
- Forbes Technology Council Member Leader — leads the Tech Consulting Group; Council member since 2021
- Creator of the Hyperion Physical AI Product System — the decision-gated method behind every engagement
- Senior Executive AI ThinkTank Member (since 2025)
- Berkeley SkyDeck Key Advisor (pro bono, October 2022 – Present) — advising startups at UC Berkeley's accelerator
- Board Member, La French Tech Athens — representing French tech ecosystem in Greece
- French Government AI Ambassador for Industry — Osez l’IA Initiative (since 2025), supporting business AI adoption and ecosystem connection
- Published Forbes.com Contributor
- FranceNum Activateur — Referenced Digital Transformation Expert (2025)
In the Field
Selected public events and programme appointments.
Emmanuel Macron · Kyriakos Mitsotakis
President of France · Prime Minister of Greece
France–Greece state visit.
Emmanuel Macron · Kyriakos Mitsotakis
President of France · Prime Minister of Greece
Tech and innovation delegation, France–Greece bilateral programme.
Emmanuel Macron
President of France
France–Greece state visit programme.
France–Greece Summit
Heads of state, ministers, and tech delegation
Bilateral programme on AI, industry, and digital infrastructure.
Benjamin Haddad
French Minister for Europe
Appointment, French Ministry for Europe.
Anne Le Hénanff
French Minister for AI and Digital Affairs
Osez l'IA programme — accelerating AI adoption across French industry.
Roland Lescure
French Minister for the Economy
Appointment, French Ministry for the Economy.
Clara Chappaz
AI Ambassador for France (former Minister for AI and Digital Affairs)
Ambassadeurs IA programme — building French AI capability.
Laurence Auer
Ambassador of France to Greece
France–Greece diplomatic programme.
Luc Julia
AI scientist · co-creator of Siri
Meeting with Luc Julia, AI scientist.
Ambassadeurs IA
French Government AI Ambassador for Industry — Osez l'IA Initiative
Appointment ceremony for the Ambassadeurs IA programme.
La French Tech
French and European tech ecosystem
La French Tech Athens — bridging French and Greek tech ecosystems.
France-registered | Operating from Delft | Europe & remote worldwide
Why I Do This
After 17+ years building software for the physical world at NDS/Cisco, Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi and ABB E-mobility, I chose to work on the part that decides whether a technically promising system ever becomes a dependable product. That decision rarely fails for want of engineering. It fails because nobody owns the trade-offs between the model, the machine, the operator and the business at the same time. I operate from Delft, across France, Greece and the Netherlands. Working languages: English and French. Native: French and Arabic. Basic: Greek and Dutch. I believe in European AI sovereignty — not as a slogan, but as systems built, operated and understood in Europe. The best part of the work is the moment a team stops arguing about the demo and starts deciding against evidence: what the product must do, what proof would settle it, and what would make them stop.
Follow the work as it develops.
For field notes on Physical AI product decisions, industrial systems and current research, connect with Mohammed on LinkedIn.