In an attempt to ensure faster implementation of new vehicle and technology programs, and accelerate the company’s go-to-market strategies, US legacy carmaker General Motors is restructuring the leadership positions in its product development team and creating a new role to oversee its global regions, the company announced Dec. 13. GM said that this realignment is driven by the retirement of Doug Parks. Parks has been serving the carmaker as executive vice president of Global Product Dev...

Aptiv has appointed Benjamin Lyon senior vice president and chief technology officer (CTO), the company said in a press release on 15 December. Lyon will replace Geln De Vos who is transitioning to a newly created role of senior vice president, transformation, and special programs. Lyon most recently worked as an executive vice president of engineering at Astra where he was responsible for development and commercialization of advanced engineering solutions. Before Astra, he spent 21 year...

US automaker Ford Motor Company has appointed Sam Wu as the new managing director and chief operating officer of Ford China, the company announced on 29 September 2022. Wu will join Ford China from 1 October 2022 and will be based in Shanghai and report to Ford China President Anning Chen, the company said in a statement Thursday. Wu has previously served in senior management roles in several major global companies across a broad range of industries. He will manage engineering, manufacturing,...

Ford Motor Company announced on 22 September 2022 that the automaker is restructuring its top deck with an aim to strengthen its internal combustion product line and transform the company’s global supply chain management. The said management changes are being done as part of the company’s Ford+ plan, which intends to accelerate growth and value creation with the development of breakthrough electric vehicles at scale. Ford has named Doug Field as the new chief advanced product development ...

In a significant development to secure its top leadership, the Zurich-based electric sports car startup Piëch Automotive AG has appointed Manfred Fitzgerald, 58, as chairman of the Executive Board and co-CEO and Tobias Moers, 56, as the CTO and co-CEO of the company, it announced on 8 September 2022. Both Fitzgerald and Moers are industry veterans and are well-known for their noteworthy contribution to the luxury car market. The founders of Piëch Automotive, Toni Piëch and Rea Stark Rajcic...

Global automotive supplier Bosch announced on 19 July 2022 that the company is planning to restructure its ‘Mobility Solutions’ business into a business division with profit and loss responsibility with effect from 1 January 2023. Bosch further said that the company is appointing a new management team, which will be responsible for the ‘Mobility Solutions’ business and all its sub-divisions with effect from 1 October 2022. It added that the chairman of the new sector board will be Dr....

ADS-TEC Energy Group has announced the appointment of Wolfgang Breme as the chief financial officer (CFO), in a company press release on 13 July. Breme was responsible for finance and administration at AIXTRON SE for nearly a decade. He also held CFO positions at technotrans SE, AVENTICS and Skeleton Technologies Group. “ADS-TEC Energy is a company with an enormous growth potential. I am convinced that the intelligent battery-buffered ecosystems of ADS-TEC Energy are an enabler for a decent...

ZF Friedrichshafen has appointed Dr. Holger Klein as chairman and CEO, it said in a press release on 8 July 2022. Dr. Holger Klein will replace Wolf-Henning Scheider as chairman and CEO of ZF Friedrichshafen AG at the turn of the year 2022/23. At the same time, Dr. Peter Laier will join the Board of Management and succeed Wilhelm Rehm as the head of the Industrial Technology and Commercial Vehicle Solutions (CVS) divisions. After many years of service, ZF Chief Financial Officer Dr. Konstantin S...

Italian-American carmaker Stellantis and its battery partner LG Energy Solution announced on 2 June 2022 that their joint venture (JV) company will be officially called NextStar Energy Inc. The two companies also said that Danies Lee has been appointed as the chief executive officer of the new JV company, which will set up a new lithium-ion battery production plant in Ontario, Canada. Stellantis and South Korean battery maker LG Energy Solution had committed to invest more than CAD5.0 bi...

The Volkswagen Group has appointed a six-member executive board to manage the newly established independent European company, Société Européenne, to overlook electric vehicle (EV) battery production and ecosystem, the carmaker announced on 20 May 2022. With an aim to quickly and comprehensively industrialize VW’s new EV battery technologies, the newly appointed board will be led by Frank Blome, who along with the team, will work from their base in Salzgitter to expand the rapidly growing...

Stellantis has appointed Maxime Picat as its new Chief Purchasing and Supply Chain Officer, it said in a press release on 11 May. Maxime Picat’s appointment comes at a vital time when the automotive industry is going through a rapid transformation. His analytical skills and trusted relations with suppliers will enhance Stellantis’ short- and medium-term performance in the new E-mobility and alternative fuels ecosystem. Stellantis aims at lowering cost of EVs by 40% to ensure affordability, w...

Taiwan-based solid-state battery startup ProLogium Technology has appointed Gilles Normand as the Executive Vice President – International Development, effective immediately, the company said on 22 March 2022. Normand, who will report directly to the CEO and founder Vincent Yang, has worked with Renault and Nissan for over three decades in multiple roles. The battery maker said that Normand’s executive appointment is in response to the rapid growth in the EV industry as ProLogium aims to exp...

Norwegian lithium-on battery maker FREYR Battery has appointed Andreas Bentzen as its Executive Vice President – Technology, the company announced on 22 April 2022. Bentzen, who is slated to join the company in his new role from 1 September 2022, has previously served as the co-founder and chief technology officer for Otovo, which is a leading provider of solar panels and batteries for the residential market in Europe. Commenting on Bentzen’s appointment as the incoming EVP – Technology...

Stellantis has announced the appointment of Jean-Michel Billig as chief technology officer (CTO) for hydrogen fuel cell vehicle development, effective 27 June 2022 and Opel Brand CEO Uwe Hochgeschurtz for piloting commercialization of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, according to a press release published by the company on 22 April.  Carlos Tavares, Stellantis CEO, said, “Jean-Michel’s broad spectrum of experiences in aircraft, aerospace, automotive and naval industries will contribute t...

German supplier of powertrain and thermal components MAHLE announced on 15 April 2022 that the company and its current chairman of the management board and chief executive officer Matthias Arleth have mutually decided to terminate the contract. As a result, Arleth, 54, will leave the company by the end of April. “This step is due to differing opinions on the future strategic orientation of the group,” the company said in a statement. Notably, Arleth had joined the technology group in Janu...

Israeli automotive tech company REE Automotive announced via press release on 5 April that it had appointed ex-Tesla Head of the New Product/Manufacturing Introduction group, Josh Tech, as the new COO. According to the press release, the new COO brings over 23 years of experience in complex product development and launch, industrialization, infrastructure development, engineering, supply chain, quality, and operations management from his previous time at automaker Tesla and construction ...

Tritium has announced the appointment Glen Casey as chief operating officer (COO), it said in a press release on 7 March. Casey had been serving as Tritium’s interim director of global operations since May 2021. Before Tritium, Casey held senior leadership roles in Philips, Imperial Chemical Industries and Nylex, where he was involved in operations in Australia, Asia and Europe. As the COO, Casey will oversee company-wide operational performance, global supply and product distribution and cust...

EV battery technology startup InoBat Auto announced on 25 March that it plans to set up its third Gigafactory in Western Europe to support its customer order book. The company said that it is evaluating potential sites for its third Gigafactory in European Union as well as in the UK as it plans to take a decision within 2022. In June 2021, InoBat had announced that the company is building an EV battery technology center and a pilot assembly line in Voderady, about 40 km from Bratislava. ...

EV maker Rivian Automotive, Inc. has appointed Frank Klein as chief operations officer, effective 1 June 2022, the company said on 14 March 2022. Klein will join Rivian from the Austria-based automotive contract manufacturer Magna Steyr, where he served as the president. He will be based in Normal, Illinois, and will report directly to the EV maker’s chief executive officer, RJ Scaringe. Klein succeeds Rod Copes, who retired from the position last year, Rivian said in its official note. Not...

Michigan-based vehicle manufacturer General Motors has appointed Jeffrey Morrison as vice president, Global Purchasing and Supply Chain with effect from 1 April 2022, the company announced on 3 March 2022. GM said that Morrison replaces Shilpan Amin, who was recently appointed as the company’s senior vice president and president, GM International, following the announcement of Steve Kiefer’s decision to retire after almost 40 years in the auto industry. In his current role, Morrison is re...

ABB has appointed Michael Halbherr as the chairman of its electric mobility division, ABB E-mobility Holding AG, the company said in an official statement released on 8 February 2022. A Swiss national, Halbherr, 57, had started his career at Boston Consulting Group and has also served as the CEO of mobile maps and navigation pioneer gate5, which was later acquired by Nokia. Halbherr has also served as the CEO at HERE Technologies, which was later sold to a consortium of German automotive compani...

Israel-based EV battery technology startup StoreDot has appointment of Dr David Lee as chief science officer, effective immediately, the company said on 11 January 2022. Dr Lee will head StoreDot’s new US-based research and development (R&D) center and innovation hub and will report directly to the CEO, Dr Doron Myersdorf. According to the company, Dr Lee has joined StoreDot from the Evergrande NEV Global Battery Research Institute, where he was serving as the head of Materials Research...

Canadian mining company Nouveau Monde announced via press release on 10th January that it had appointed ex-Senior VP, Project Development & Operations Services, at Inter Pipeline Ltd., Bernard Perron, as its new CEO. According to the press release, the new CEO will oversee Nouveau Monde’s engineering, procurement, construction, operations, as well as environmental, health and safety management for its integrated mine-to-battery-material business model. Perron brings to the company 25...

Israeli-based manufacturer of modular platforms REE Automotive announced via press release on 6 January the appointment of finance executive David Goldberg as the company’s CFO. Goldberg joins the company from Magna International where he was the SVP of Corporate Development. According to the press release, the new CFO brings with him 20 years of experience in corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, and management consulting thanks to previous stints at Morgan Stanley, Bain & ...

Electric vehicle (EV) startup founded by MIT professor and inventor Ian Hunter, Indigo Technologies has introduced two new electric vehicle concepts aimed at the rideshare and delivery market at the ongoing CES 2022 on 3 January 2022. The company said that its concept vehicles—Indigo Flow and Flow Plus—enable new types of EVs that ride significantly smoother, are more spacious and operate at lower cost than any other vehicles in their class. “The Flow and Flow Plus will be markedly bett...

German carmaker Volkswagen has roped in Soonho Ahn, who was until recently working as the global head of battery development at Apple Inc, the company said in an official statement on 13 December 2021. Ahn’s appointment is part of Volkswagen’s restructuring of its top deck in order to align the company for the transition to electric vehicles through the decade. VW said that Ahn, who’s previous stints include senior leadership roles at LG and Samsung, will take on a leading role in the d...

Global automotive component supplier MARELLI announced on 3 December 2021 that the company has appointed David Fan as EVP and president for the China region with effect from 1 January 2022. In his new role, Fan will be responsible for leading the business of MARELLI in China, aiming to support growth for domestic Chinese OEMs as well as the global OEMs in China. “The appointment will be key to strengthen MARELLI position in the growing Chinese market, therefore accelerating t...

Dana has appointed Timothy R. Kraus as SVP and CFO, it said in a press release on 1 December. Kraus succeeds Jonathan Collins. Kraus most recently served as SVP of finance and treasurer in which he was responsible for Dana's global treasury operations, such as corporate liquidity and cash and risk management. Prior to joining Dana in 2010, Kraus held leadership roles with Intelsat S.A., Lear Corporation, and Ernst & Young. “Tim has been essential to the success of Dana's transformation ...

Automotive engineering and development service provider Bosch Engineering GmbH has restructured its top leadership team with effect from 1 October, the company said in a press release on 5 October. The company said that Dr. Johannes-Jörg Rüger, who will continue to serve as the president of Bosch Engineering GmbH, will now assume additional responsibility in the area of development. Meanwhile, continuing to serve as the EVP of Bosch Engineering GmbH, Dr.-Ing. Frank Schmidt will take over...

German automotive component manufacturer Continental AG announced on 30 September that its Supervisory Board has approved the Group’s restructuring with a focus on market developments and customer requirements. “The Executive Board decided on the organizational changes in September 2021 in view of the transformation of the mobility industry,” the company said in a statement, adding that ‘following the successful spin-off of Vitesco Technologies in mid-September 2021 and the decision t...

Global supplier of automotive fluid systems, TI Fluid Systems has appointed Hans Dieltjens as its new president and chief executive officer with effect from 1 October 2021, the company said in a press release on 21 September. Hans will succeed William L. Kozyra, who will retire on 1 October and step down from the Board of Directors. The company said that Hans will assume this leadership role at a strategically important time when it is implanting its electric vehicle strategy and working to r...

German automotive component supplier Schaeffler AG has appointed Claus Bauer, 55, as the chief financial officer (CFO), under a two-year contract with effect from 1 September, the company had announced on 31 August. It said that Bauer, who succeeds Klaus Patzak will be responsible for finance and information technology. Meanwhile, Patzak left the company at his own request with effect from 31 July, Schaeffler said in its official note. The company further added that the Board of managing d...

American Battery Metals Corporation (ABTC), an American lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery recycling technology and advanced battery metal extraction company, announced on 30 August the appointment of current company CTO Ryan Melsert as its new CEO. According to the company’s press release, Melsert brings over 20 years of technology development and business expertise to his new position. Melsert, who holds a graduate degree in Engineering and an MBA from the Georgia Institute of Technology joined...

Electric light-duty truck supplier Lordstown Motors Corporation has announced that its board of directors has appointed Daniel A. Ninivaggi as CEO and as a member of the board. According to a press release issued on 26 August, Ninivaggi took charge on the same day. Prior to this appointment, Ninivaggi was the former CEO of Icahn Enterprises L.P. and has served in a variety of leadership positions in the automotive and transportation industries, including companies suc...

California-based shared intelligent mobility ecosystem company, Faraday Future Intelligent Electric Inc., has announced that Board member Brian Krolicki has been appointed as chairman for the company’s newly formed Board of Directors. According to a press release issued by Faraday Future on 17 August, the company stated that its nine-member Board of Directors was appointed upon the closing of the business combination between Faraday Future and Property Solutions Acquisition Corp., a special...

UK-based engineering services provider Ricardo plc has appointed Graham Ritchie as its new CEO, the company said in a press announcement on 26 August. Ritchie, who takes over the new position on 1 October 2021, replaces the outgoing CEO Dave Shemmans, who is stepping down from the Board after 16 years on 30 September 2021, Ricardo said in an official statement. The company said that Ritchie has a proven track record in leading large divisions within listed companies and is well placed to e...

EV charging solutions supplier, Romeo Power, has announced that it has named Susan Brennan as its President and CEO. According to a press release issued by Romeo Power on 6 August, the company stated that Ms. Brennan will take over the reins of the company effective 16 August 2021. She most recently held the role of COO at Bloom Energy Corporation, an energy solutions business focused on decarbonization. Her expertise lies in key areas including operations, strategy and manufacturing. Prior t...

Michigan-based vehicle manufacturer, Ford Motor Company has hired a corporate merger and acquisition (M&A) veteran, Doug Power, 52, to accelerate its Ford+ plan for securing growth in electric vehicles (EVs), connectivity and innovative services, the company said in a press announcement on 19 July. Power has joined Ford in June in the newly created position of VP, Corporate Development, the company said. “He and his team are charged with developing, sustaining, and carrying out an am...

American vehicle manufacturer, General Motors has appointed Kent Helfrich as VP, Global Research and Development, CTO, and president of its investment arm, GM Ventures, the company said in a press announcement on 27 July. Helfrich, who currently serves as executive director, Advanced Technology and Partnerships at GM, will take on his new role from 1 August. He replaces Matt Tsien, who has elected to retire after 45 years with the company, GM said in an official statement. “As we pursue ...

Electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer, Canoo, has announced that it has named its board member, Ambassador Josette Sheeran as the company’s president. According to a press release issued by the company on 26 July, Ms. Sheeran has been appointed as President of Canoo with effect from the same day onward, after having joined the Canoo Board of Directors in December 2020. She also served as a member of the Canoo Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee and the Compensation Committee until ...

American automotive components supplier, Dana Inc., has announced that it has appointed Byron Foster as the president of its Light Vehicle Drive Systems business. According to a press release issued by Dana on 28 June, the Ohio-based company stated that Foster will succeed Bob Pyle, who announced that he will be leaving Dana, effective 9 July, to accept a CEO position outside the mobility industry. Prior to this new appointment, Foster served as Dana's SVP and chief commercial, marketing...

Continental has appointed Gilles Mabire as the chief technology officer (CTO) of its Automotive Technologies group sector, the company said in a press release on 23 June. He is set to take up his role latest by 1 January 2022. Mabire will replace Dirk Abendroth, who is leaving the company by the end of June. Michael Hülsewies, head of Architecture and Software, will serve as the interim CTO. Mabire is currently responsible for the Commercial Vehicles and Services business unit at Continental. ...

Germany-based supplier, Bosch, has announced changes at its top executive level with effect from 1 January 2022 onward. According to a press release issued by Bosch on 24 June, the company stated that Dr. Stefan Hartung will be appointed as the new chairman of the board of management of Robert Bosch GmbH. He will succeed Dr. Volkmar Denner, who will step down after a ten-year stint as the company’s CEO. Stefan Asenkerschbaumer will be succeeded as CFO by Dr. Markus Forschner. Additiona...

In a Board of Directors’ meeting held on 26 May, Valeo appointed Christophe Périllat deputy CEO of the company. Périllat was also appointed director of Valeo by the General Meeting on 31 May. Valeo said in a statement that the appointments as deputy CEO and as Director are in line with the succession plan of Jacques Aschenbroich as detailed in the press release of October 27, 2020 and in Valeo’s 2020 Universal Registration Document. The succession plan provides that the separation ...

Electric vehicle (EV) battery startup Innolith has appointed Florian Wolf as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of the company, according to a company press release on 13 May 2021. Having spent 14 years in investment banking in London, Florian brings deep sector expertise in the EV ecosystem and a wealth of experience in corporate finance to Innolith. Prior to joining Innolith, Florian was an Executive Director within JP Morgan’s Diversified Industries Investment Banking team. His sect...

UK-based producer of lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery cell technology Britishvolt announced that it has appointed Graham Hoare as president of Global Operations. According to a report filed by Electrive on 20 May, Hoare was earlier the chairman of Ford of Britain. Prior to joining Britishvolt, Hoare was the chair of the UK Automotive Council. He has also worked at Ford North America, the BMW Group, and Land Rover in the past. Significance: The Electrive report also included a comment...

Electric vehicle company Lucid Motors has announced that Sherry House has been appointed as the CFO, according to its press release on 5 May. House joins Lucid Motors from Waymo, where she was leading Waymo’s global corporate development, investments, acquisitions, and external fundraising. “We are delighted to have Sherry join us. Her rare combination of financial and technical experience bolsters our core leadership team in a pivotal year for Lucid as we prepare to transition to a publi...

California-based EV manufacturing startup, Canoo, has announced that Tony Aquila, its executive chairman, has been added to the role of CEO. Aquila succeeds Ulrich Kranz, who has resigned effective 30 April, 2021. According to a press release issued by Canoo on 22 April, the company also announced the opening of executive offices in Dallas, Texas, US. The production version of Canoo’s pickup truck will open for preorders in second quarter 2021, with deliveries beginning in 2023. The vehicle...

Piedmont Lithium Ltd. (PLL) announced David Klanecky as EVP and COO. He will join the lithium chemicals company in April 2021 and be based at its Belmont, North Carolina headquarters. Keith Phillips, president, and CEO said, “We are very pleased to welcome David to our senior management team. David’s experience in and enthusiasm for this industry are unmatched. Having had responsibility for the world’s leading hard rock-based lithium hydroxide business, including spodumene investments i...

On 26 March, Marelli announced a few key appointments for its electrification, ADAS and electronics divisions. Joachim Fetzer will be appointed as Chief Technology and Innovation Officer (CTIO), while Hannes Prenn will join as EVP and CEO of the Electric Powertrain business. The new appointments are in line with the objectives of the “Ambition 2024” strategy. Heinrich Gerhard Schuering will become the new EVP of the Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) business while Mike Peters will...

Dr. Jörg Stratmann, Chairman of the Management Board and CEO of MAHLE Group will resign from his positions with effect from 31 March 2021, according to a company press release on 8 March 2021. The appointment of a successor by the Supervisory Board will take place without delay. Until the successor assumes office, Michael Frick, member of the Management Board responsible for Finance, IT, and other administrative areas, will take over the position as chairman of the Management Board and CEO. ...

Johnson Matthey has appointed Stephen Oxley as their new chief financial officer, the company said in a press release on 12 January. He will join the board on 1 April 2021. Oxley will replace Karen Hayzen-Smith, who is the interim CFO. Stephen Oxley is a chartered accountant who has worked at KPMG for almost 30 years with audit and advisory roles for large international companies across FMCG, healthcare, natural resources, and industrial sectors. “I am delighted to be joining JM at ...

The Board of SKF has appointed Rickard Gustafson as its new President and CEO. According to a press release issued by SKF on 11 January, he will succeed Alrik Danielson and join SKF during the first half of 2021. Gustafson is currently the president and CEO of the Scandinavian airline holding company, SAS Group. He has also worked with the insurance company, Codan/Trygg Hansa, and General Electric. Significance: Commenting on the appointment, Hans Stråberg, chairman of the Board of AB SKF...

Volkswagen Group Components has appointed Elke Temme as head of the newly-created Charging & Energy business, the company announced in a press release on 4 January. The new business’ responsibilities will include pooling and managing existing Group activities in the fields of energy, charging services, charging equipment, and charging infrastructure across all the brands. Most recently, Temme was working with energy company innogy where she has had various functions over the past 1...

Alrik Danielson will resign from the post of President and CEO of SKF in 2021, according to a company press release on 16 November 2020. Danielson will continue in his current role until a successor is in place, contributing to a smooth transition. Significance: Hans Stråberg, chairman of the Board of AB SKF, said “I would like to warmly thank Alrik Danielson for his contributions to SKF during his 25 years in the company and especially for his time as president and CEO. He has implemented...

Continental has appointed Nikolai Setzer as its new CEO and executive board chairman, effective 1 December, the company has announced in a press release on 12 November. The appointment will be effective until March 2024. He succeeds Dr. Elmar Degenhart who is stepping down from his position for health reasons, with the consent of the Supervisory Board, effective 30 November 2020. Significance: Setzer has been working with Continental since 1997. In his 23-year career at the company to date, h...

Continental CEO Dr. Elmar Degenhart will resign from his position effective 30 November 2020, citing health reasons, according to a company press release on 29 October 2020. He has asked the supervisory board to accept the early termination of his executive board directorship and his contract, which would have run until 11 August 2024. Degenhart explained the reasons for choosing the timing of his resignation. “After a lot of effort invested for the benefit of our organization, I was r...

Power management company Eaton has appointed Bo Yang as president, APAC, Vehicle Group and eMobility, according to a company press release on 8 October. In this new role, he will be based in Shanghai, mainland China, and continue to report to João Faria, president, Vehicle Group, Eaton. Yang will expand his responsibilities for the Vehicle and eMobility businesses to include the entire APAC region, with direct oversight for operations, sales performance, market development, and revenue gro...

In a press release dated 20 September, Nikola Motors announced that Trevor Milton has stepped down from the position of executive chairman and from the board. Nikola has appointed Stephen Girsky, former vice chairman of General Motors Co. and a member of Nikola’s Board, as the new chairman of the board, effective immediately. “Nikola is truly in my blood and always will be, and the focus should be on the Company and its world-changing mission, not me. So I made the difficult decision to a...

Electric vehicle (EV) battery startup Britishvolt has appointed Dr. Allan Paterson as CTO, according to a press release on 24 August. "We are delighted that someone with Dr Paterson's experience is joining us at this crucial phase of our development. He joins our expanding team of world-class experts, including our chief strategy officer Isobel Sheldon,” said Britishvolt CEO, Orral Nadjari. "With plans now advancing for our manufacturing gigaplant base, our partnerships and capital already ...

GKN Automotive has appointed Dirk Kesselgruber as the new president of its ePowertrain division, effective 1 October, the company said in a press release on 20 August. Kesselgruber will report directly to GKN Automotive’s CEO, Liam Butterworth. Prior to GKN, he had worked with Schaeffler AG, where he was president of the Chassis Systems business. He has more than two decades of experience in senior roles in the global automotive industry, including posts at BMW, TRW Automotive, and ZF. S...

Rimac Automobili has appointed Chris Porritt as the company’s new chief technology officer (CTO), according to a company press release on 23 July. Porritt will report directly to founder and CEO, Mate Rimac, with focus on future Rimac projects. Significance: Porritt has more than three decades of work experience. He has overseen the development of a number of bespoke performance and electric vehicles. Previously, Porritt had served as chief engineer at Aston Martin ...

Schaeffler has appointed Dr. Klaus Patzak as its new CFO and a member of the Board of Managing Directors, effective 1 August 2020, according to a company press release. In his new position, Dr. Patzak’s will oversee the Finance and IT functions. He will succeed Dietmar Heinrich, who will leave Schaeffler 31 July 2020 to pursue new challenges in his career. Significance: Patzak began his career in 1993 in the Finance department of Siemens AG, where he most recently served as a mana...

Power management company Eaton has appointed Scott Adams as president of eMobility segment. In this new role, he will be based in Southfield, Michigan, and report directly to João Faria, president, Vehicle Group, Eaton. Adams is responsible for leading all aspects of the business to achieve Eaton’s objectives for top-line revenue growth and profitability. Significance: Adams joined Eaton in 1994 as a project engineering manager and has held various positions of increasing roles over his 26...

Electric vehicle (EV) charging startup HeyCharge has appointed Florian Wolf as Chief Operating Officer (COO), according to a company press release on 2 July 2020. Wolf has over 15 years of experience working in various management roles across strategy, operations and finance for banks, startups. Most recently, he worked with an Australia-based Venture Capital Fund. Wolf’s portfolio includes finance, operations, sales, and go-to-market.

Johnson Matthey’s CFO Anna Manz has decided to leave the company after almost four years, according to a company press release on 25 June. Manz will join London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) as CFO and a member of the board of LSEG plc. Manz is to step down from the board on 20 November 2020. Meanwhile, the company has commenced the search of a successor and expects to announce an appointment in due course. “Anna has made a significant contribution to JM since she joined us back in ...

Metal processing specialist, the Benteler Group, has announced the appointment of Dr. Arno Haselhorst as its Chief Restructuring Officer (CRO). According to a press statement issued by Benteler on 19 June, the company has stated that Dr. Haselhorst will be the fourth member of the company’s Executive Board. He will be responsible for the restructuring measures within the transformation program of the company. Dr. Haselhorst has over 30 years of experience in industry and consulting with a f...

Garrett Motion, a differentiated technology provider into the automotive industry, has appointed Sean Deason as its new CFO, according to a press release on 8 June 2020. The appointment will be effective 30 June 2020, or upon the receipt of the requisite relocation work permits. Deason will assume responsibilities as the principal financial officer of Garrett from Peter Bracke, who served as Interim CFO for Garrett since September 2019 and will remain with the company in the newly created pos...

Andreas Wolf, the chief executive officer of Vitesco Technologies, has been appointed to the executive board of German automotive components and systems supplier Continental AG. In a press statement released by Continental on 3 June, the company has announced that the appointment of Wolf will be with effect from 3 June 2020, and that it will be for a term of three years. Additionally, if the planned spin-off of Vitesco Technologies will take place within this three year period, the appointment t...

Varroc Engineering Ltd has appointed Rohit Prakash as president of Metallic Business, according to a press release on 21 May. He will be report to Tarang Jain, managing director of Varroc. Rohit has also been appointed the additional/whole-time director of the company. Significance: Rohit Prakash has more than three decades of experience with major four- and two-wheeler manufacturers in the country and carries extensive experience in planning and executing projects for new plant setups and de...

Preh has appointed Dr. Stephan Weng as the new CEO of the company, effective 1 July 2020, according to a company press release on 17 March. He succeeds Christoph Hummel, who resigned for health reasons. Dr. Michael Roesnick, who moved from the supervisory board to the management of Preh GmbH in November 2019, will serve as the interim CEO. Most recently, Dr. Stephan Weng worked as CEO for the global automotive supplier BCS-Automotive Interface Solutions, a spin-off from ZF with roots in th...

Plastic Omnium has appointed Stéphane Noël as president and CEO of Intelligent Exterior Systems, and Christian Kopp has been appointed president and CEO of Clean Energy Systems. Both appointments are effective from 1 January 2020. Noël joined Plastic Omnium in 2012 as president and CEO for Asia for the Clean Energy Systems business. In October 2017, he took on the role of president and CEO of Clean Energy Systems. Kopp joined Plastic Omnium in 2007. Most recently, he served ...

FEV has appointed Dr. Ulrich Pfahl as the chairman of the executive board of FEV Asia, the company announced in a press release on 20 December. In this position, he will be responsible for the business activities of the FEV subsidiaries in Asia. Appointment is effective 1 January 2020. Dr. Pfahl succeeds Dr. Ernst Scheid, who has reached retirement age, but will continue to serve the FEV Group in an advisory capacity. Dr. Pfahl has held various positions in the FEV Group since 2016, most rece...

Dana’s board of directors has elected the company's president and CEO, James K. Kamsickas, to the additional post of chairman of the board, according to a company press release on 16 December. Kamsickas has more than 30 years of experience in the mobility business, spanning the light-vehicle, commercial-vehicle, and off-highway segments. Prior to joining Dana in 2015, Kamsickas was president and CEO of International Automotive Components (IAC) for eight years. In addition, he served as head...

Brose Group has announced the appointment of Ulrich Schrickel as its new CEO, effective 1 January 2020, the company said in a press release on 3 December. Schrickel will replace Kurt Sauernheimer, who is retiring after serving the German automotive supplier for 32 years. “Ulrich Schrickel will lead the Brose Group into the future as an independent family-owned company, strengthen its profitability and power to innovate and prepare the organization on its way to becoming a modern, entrepreneuri...

Schaeffler’s chief financial officer (CFO) Dietmar Heinrich will retire on 31 July 2020, according to a company press release on 5 November. The company will announce a successor in due course. Heinrich began his professional career in October 1990 at Alfred Kärcher GmbH & Co. KG, where he worked in Controlling. In 1995, he joined the Schaeffler Group. From 2001 to 2005, he served as Commercial Director at the company's location in Seoul, Korea, in which he was responsible for the Fina...

Schaeffler India has appointed Sanjeev Saxena as the new Automotive President, according to a company press release on 23 October. In his new role, Saxena will be responsible for the Automotive business of Schaeffler in India. Operating out of the company headquarters in Pune, he will report to Harsha Kadam, CEO Schaeffler India. Prior to this, Saxena served as Business Vertical Head, Information and Connected Systems at Spark Minda Group, and CEO and managing director, Minda SAI and Minda St...

Cummins has appointed Amy Adams as vice president of its Fuel Cell & Hydrogen Technologies business unit, the company said in a press release on 11 October. The company’s Fuel Cell & Hydrogen Technologies business unit is part of its Electrified Power Segment. Adams will report to Thad Edward, vice president of corporate strategy at Cummins. Adams has been associated with Cummins for more than two decades. Most recently, she was vice president of strategic initiatives. In the n...

Volkswagen (VW) has appointed Dirk Große-Loheide as its new head of procurement of the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand, effective 1 October, the automaker announced on 1 October. Große-Loheide succeeds Dr. Stefan Sommer, who was previously in charge of this brand function, in addition to his responsibilities as group board member for Components and Procurement. Sommer will now concentrate fully on his extensive tasks as a member of the group board. Große-Loheide has been working wi...

Schaeffler has announced the retirement of its chief technology officer (CTO) and Deputy CEO Prof. Dr.-Ing. Peter Gutzmer, according to a company press release on 1 October. Prof. Gutzmer served as the CTO and deputy CEO from June 2014 onwards, prior to which he was the chief research & development officer from 2011. Professor Gutzmer will, for a certain time, continue to support the company in an advisory capacity. As Gutzmer’s successor, Schaeffler has appointed Uwe Wagner appointed t...

Garrett Motion has appointed Peter Bracke as interim chief financial officer (CFO), according to a press release on 6 September. He will replace Alessandro Gili, who is currently serving as senior vice president and CFO. Gili decided to leave the company, effective 30 September 2019. Most recently, Bracke served as vice president, FP&A and Business finance for Garrett. Prior to that, he held various CFO roles at Honeywell and served as CFO of the business through the completion of the spi...

Johnson Mathey has appointed Maurits van Tol as the new chief technology officer (CTO), the company announced in a press release on 16 August. Maurits will also be a member of the Group Management Committee and will report directly to Robert MacLeod, CEO of Johnson Matthey. The appointment will be effective from 16 October 2019. Currently, Maurits is serving as the senior vice president of Innovation and Technology at Borealis. Maurits has been responsible for shaping the Circular Economy bus...

Exide Technologies has appointed Lou Martinez as the new executive vice president and chief financial officer, the company announced on 30 July. Martinez succeeds Tony Genito, who is retiring from Exide. Martinez will report to Tim Vargo, chairman, president, and CEO of Exide Technologies, and will lead the company’s global Finance, Accounting, Internal Audit, Investor Relations, Treasury, and Risk Management functions from Exide’s global headquarters in Milton, Georgia. Most recentl...

American Axle & Manufacturing (AAM) has appointed Fred Solomon as vice president of Global Procurement and Supplier Quality Engineering, the company announced in a press release on 22 July. In the new role, Solomon will be responsible for AAM’s global procurement activities including supplier quality and performance. Most recently, Solomon served as director, Mopar Purchasing and Supplier Quality, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) and was responsible for all sourcing and supplier quality ...

Rheinmetall Automotive’s chairman of the Executive Board and Automotive CEO Horst Binning will retire from the group by the end of 2019, the company announced in a press release on 24 July.  Following the implementation of a succession plan with a smooth transition of leadership duties, he will relinquish his responsibilities within the group. Binnig joined the Automotive sector of the Rheinmetall Group in 1999 in charge of Corporate Development and then headed the Automotive subs...

Johnson Matthey has appointed Joan Braca as the new chief executive of Clean Air Sector, the company announced in a press release on 17 July. Joan will succeed John Walker, executive director and Chief Executive of Clear Air Sector, who will retire from the company and step down from the board on 31st March 2020. Braca’s appointment will be effective from 1 October 2019 at which point John will cease to have executive responsibility for Clean Air. Braca joins Johnson Matthey from Tate &...

BASF has appointed Carola Richter as its president of South & East Asia, ASEAN, and Australia/New Zealand, effective 1 July, according to a company press release on 11 July. She succeeded Ramkumar Dhruva, who assumes responsibility for BASF’s global Monomers Division in Waterloo, Belgium. Richter started her career with BASF in 2003 as a management consultant in Germany. Subsequently, she held various management positions in Hong Kong and Germany, including senior vice-president of Glob...

Hyundai Motor has appointed Juho Suh as vice president and head of Hyundai Design Innovation Group, the automaker said in a press release on 10 July. Suh will lead advanced design and overseas design solutions for future mobility at the Korean automaker. He will report to Sang Yup Lee, senior vice president and head of Hyundai Design Innovation Group, an organization dedicated to enabling the Korean automaker to better adapt to the latest design trends. Significance: Suh joins Hyundai with ne...

Garrett Motion has appointed Anthony Lodato vice president and general manager of its North America operations, the company announced in a press release on 13 June. The appointment has been effective from 1 June 2019. Lodato is reporting to Garrett Motion CEO and president Olivier Rabiller and will become a member of the Garrett Senior Leadership Team. Lodato will also continue to serve as the senior director, Customer Management, North America at Garrett's North American headquarters. L...

Erwin Doll has stepped down as vice chairman of the executive board of the Röchling Group and head of the Automotive division with immediate effect owing to strategic differences regarding the future direction of the division, according to a company press release on 20 May. Hanns-Peter Knaebel will take over Doll's responsibilities. Doll joined the Röchling Group in 2006 and was appointed executive vice president of Sales and R&D at Röchling Automotive, later in addition also for ...

Dana has appointed Gajanan Gandhe as the new country head for Dana India, effective immediately, the company announced in a press release on 3 May. Gandhe will work across Dana, including the company's business units, functional teams, and joint venture partners. He will also be responsible for implementation of the company's e-mobility strategy in India. Gandhe will also be an active member on each of Dana's India-based boards of directors. Most recently, Gandhe served as executive director,...

Nissan has appointed David Moss as its senior vice-president for research and development (R&D) in Europe, the automaker said in a press release. Moss replaces Nobusuke Tokura who was recently appointed as senior chief powertrain engineer for Nissan. Moss will be based at Nissan’s Technical Center Europe in Cranefield, UK. He will report to Gianluca de Ficchy, chairman for Nissan Europe. Significance: Moss has been associated with Nissan since 1990, when he joined the Japanese automaker...

Volkswagen Group’s component division has announced several new appointments in its top management, according to a company press release on 26 March. The company has appointed Heiner Lanze as head of Procurement of the newly independent business unit. Lanze succeeds Stephan Beyse, who has been moved to Kassel as head of Procurement of Genuine Parts. Lanze has held several managerial positions in Procurement at Audi and served as vice president of Procurement at Scania. Most recently, Lanz...

BorgWarner has appointed Kevin A. Nowlan as the executive vice president and the new chief financial officer (CFO), the company announced in a press release on 19 March. The appointment will be effective from 1 April 2019. Most recently, Nowlan served as senior vice president and CFO at Meritor, a position he held since 2013, and also as president of the Trailer and Components businesses since 2018. Prior to that, Nowlan held various executive and financial leadership roles with Merito...

Schaeffler has appointed new CEOs for Americas and Asia Pacific (APAC) regions, the company announced in a press release on 6 March. Marc McGrath has been named as the new CEO of Americas region, and will succeed Bruce Warmbold who is retiring at the end of the year. McGrath has held various management positions at Schaeffler and is currently serving as head of Automotive in the Americas region. Schaeffler has also appointed Dharmesh Arora as the CEO of APAC region, who replaces Helmut Bode. ...

Denso has announced several changes in its senior management team in North America, effective 1 April 2019, according to a company’s press release on 7 March. The Japanese supplier has appointed Shinichi Nakamizo as executive officer of Denso’s North American Manufacturing. Steve Milam will serve as executive officer of Corporate Function Division, Powertrain Systems Business and Electrification Systems Business of North America.  In addition, Denso has appointed leaders of its vario...

Schaeffler has appointed Uwe Wagner as the new chief technology officer (CTO), the company announced in a press release on 3 March. The company also inducted Wagner as member of the Board of Managing Directors of Schaeffler AG for a period of three years, as of 1 January, 2020. Wagner succeeds Prof. Dr.-Ing. Peter Gutzmer who will retire as of 31 December 2019. Wagner currently serves as head of Research and Development Automotive OEM and Industry. Schaeffler has also extended the contract of...

Hyundai Mobis, a South Korean auto parts affiliate of Hyundai Motor, has announced plans to appoint Euisun Chung as its new CEO, according to a press release on 26 February. Chung is currently serving as executive vice chairman of Hyundai Motor Group. Chung will assume the CEO post upon gaining the approval of shareholders and board members of the two companies next month. Prior to his appointment as executive vice chairman of Hyundai Motor, Chung wasvice chairman of Hyundai Motor Company fro...

Denso has announced changes in its executive management structure and personnel, the company said in a press release on 18 February. The Japanese supplier has reduced the number of members on its board of directors and delegated authority to execute with a goal to further improve operating efficiency. With effect from 1 April, Denso has trimmed its board size almost by half to 28 members. The company’s streamlined board will consist of chairman, president and CEO, executive vice president, ...

Denso has realigned its organizational structure in North America to accelerate and strengthen business execution, research and development (R&D) and strategic collaboration, the company said in a press release on 24 January. The Japanese supplier has announced certain organizational changes at its regional headquarters Denso International America in Southfield, Michigan (United States). Denso has created ‘Connected Service Department’ to intensify its focus on automated and connected...