At Auto Shanghai 2025, Mercedes-Benz is showcasing a range of China-specific vehicles and technologies, emphasizing its technical expertise and dedication to its largest market. The event coincides with the 20th anniversary of Mercedes-Benz's local production and technological initiatives in China, where it also operates its most comprehensive research and development hub outside of Germany. Oliver Thöne, who recently succeeded Hubertus Troska as the board of management member responsible ...

Lynk & Co Automotive Technology Co. Ltd. (Lynk & Co) has recently seen a notable shift in its corporate structure, as observed in business registration records updated Feb. 11 by the Chinese enterprise information platform Tianyancha. The update indicates that Volvo Cars (China) Investment Co. Ltd. and Zhejiang Geely Holding Group (Geely Holding) have exited their shareholder positions in Lynk & Co. They have been replaced by Zhejiang Zeekr Intelligent Technology Co. Ltd. (Zeekr), wh...

Dongfeng Motor and Changan Automobile, two of China's state-owned automotive giants, have concurrently announced plans for reorganization, sparking speculations of a potential merger that could result in one of the world's largest auto groups. Despite the absence of direct mentions of one another in their announcements, local media, especially a report by 36kr, suggests that a merger is imminent, with Dongfeng poised to take a leading role in the newly formed group. This speculation is further s...

Dana Inc. has announced significant leadership and strategic changes, including the appointment of R. Bruce McDonald as chairman and CEO, effective immediately. McDonald, who has been a Dana board director since 2014, succeeds James Kamsickas following Kamsickas' retirement. Kamsickas, credited with leading the company through challenging times and achieving substantial growth, will remain as an advisor through March 2025 to ensure a smooth transition. Dana has initiated a search for a...

Swedish premium electric carmaker Polestar has appointed Jean-Francois Mady the new chief financial officer, effective Oct. 21, the company announced Sept. 3. Mady brings 25 years of experience from senior, leading roles in automotive finance and financial services across Europe, China, Asia and India. In his previous role, he was serving the Stellantis Group as the senior vice president of global accounting operations and finance transformation. He has also held several leadership roles at t...

Polestar announced Aug. 28 that Michael Lohscheller has been appointed as the CEO of the Nasdaq-listed electric-car maker. Lohscheller, who has previously served as CEO of several popular brands such as Opel, VinFast and Nikola, will take charge of the new role with effect from Oct. 1. Lohscheller’s appointment comes as Thomas Ingenlath, who was serving as the CEO since Polestar's inception, has resigned. It is expected that Lohscheller, who is known for his skills in navigating competit...

Renault’s electric vehicle unit Ampere has appointed Anne-Catherine Brieux as the new vice president for Industrial Operations with effect from Aug. 1, the company announced July 26. With the new appointment, Brieux, who is currently serving the French carmaker as vice president of Quality Strategy, Suppliers and Development, becomes a member of the Ampere leadership team. In her new role, she will report to Ampere CEO Luca de Meo. Brieux is slated to take over from Luciano Biondo, ...

Volkswagen has appointed HW Vassen chief technology officer and a member of the board of management of its battery unit PowerCo SE, the company announced June 20. Vassen will take over the new position from Aug. 1, the company said, adding that the decision was approved by the Supervisory Board of PowerCo SE. Vassen, who succeeds Soonho Ahn, was serving as the head of series development at the company and is known to have already played a decisive role in the development of PowerCo’s unifie...

In an announcement on June 11, Ionna, an electric vehicle charging network established by BMW, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Mercedes-Benz, Kia and Stellantis, said that the company has chosen Durham, NC, as its global headquarters. The charge-point operator (CPO) also announced the appointment of several key executives to its leadership team including a CFO, chief product officer and COO, marking a significant step forward on building its charging network in North America. Ionna has alread...

Audi, Volkswagen’s premium car unit, has appointed Geoffrey Bouquot as the new board member for innovation and software-defined vehicle (SDV) — a newly created division as part of the carmaker’s focus on building software capabilities to prepare for the future, the company announced on June 3. Bouquot fills a newly created dedicated position for innovation and software-defined vehicle (SDV) on the board of management, the company said, adding that with the new position, the supervisory ...

Japanese carmaker Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. plans to make a few changes to its senior management team, with new appointments aimed at supporting the execution of its business plan — The Arc, the company announced May 24. The company said that Atul Pasricha, senior vice president, M&A, Partnership Finance, Alliance Projects, will be transitioning toward retirement in the coming months. His successor will be announced at a future date as Pasricha will continue to provide support during the tr...

General Motors (GM) has announced a leadership transition in its China operations, with Steve Hill set to succeed Julian Blissett as the company's president, effective June 1. Blissett, who has led GM China since 2020, has decided to retire after a distinguished career with the company. Hill, currently GM's vice president of Global Commercial Operations, will take over as senior vice president and president of GM China, joining the company's senior leadership team and reporting to Rory Harvey...

British luxury carmaker Aston Martin named Bentley head Adrian Hallmark as its new CEO to replace Amedeo Felisa, in the latest management shake-up under chairman and top shareholder Lawrence Stroll. Hallmark will become the third CEO of Aston Martin since Stroll took over the carmaker in 2020 with a more than 20% stake acquisition, a news report in Reuters dated March 22 said. "When Amedeo was appointed CEO, I spoke of him leading a new phase of growth and development. Two years on, we have d...

Continuing to restructure its global operations, Europe’s largest carmaker Volkswagen announced Jan. 29 that the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand is trimming its board of management and that its New Mobility and Technical Development (TE) divisions will be brought together with effect from April 1, under the leadership of Board Member for Technical Development Kai Grünitz. Meanwhile, Thomas Ulbrich, Volkswagen Brand board member for New Mobility since 2022, has been named the Volkswage...

Luxury-auto maker Audi has announced Massimo Frascella as its new chief creative officer to guide the brand's design toward new heights of innovation and distinction. Audi has recently restructured its Design department to report directly to the chairman of the board of management, and Frascella will be responsible for setting the course for the coming generations of Audi models.  The company's goal is to make "Vorsprung durch Technik" (Advantage through Technology) visible and tang...

Ionna, the joint venture formed by seven leading carmakers such as BMW, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mercedes-Benz, and Stellantis to focus on building one of the largest fast charging networks across North America last year, has finally received the necessary approvals from the regulatory authorities to commence operations, the charge point operator (CPO) announced on February 9. It can be recalled that in July 2023, the said seven carmakers came together to set up a country-wide EV ...

Toyota Motor North America (TMNA) on Feb. 12 announced executive changes designed to drive continued growth, advance its commitment to vehicle electrification and prepare for the future of mobility. The following manufacturing changes are effective immediately. The automaker promoted Kevin Voelkel to senior vice president, vehicle plants. In this position, he will be responsible for overseeing North American vehicle production at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Baja California (TMMBC), Canada (TMM...

General Motors (GM) hired Kurt Kelty, a globally recognized battery expert and former Tesla executive, as the vice president of batteries, which is a newly created role, the carmaker announced on Feb. 8. Kelty will report to GM President Mark Reuss, the company said in a statement Thursday. Kelty’s appointment comes at a time when the US legacy carmaker is investing in new technologies, exploring new battery chemistries and expanding production capacity while transitioning to become a fu...

German carmaker Volkswagen announced Jan. 29 that it plans to strengthen its Technical Development Board function in mainland China as part of its In China, for China strategy. To this end, VW has appointed Thomas Ulbrich, former member of the board of management of the Volkswagen brand for New Mobility, as the head of its Technical Development for the VW Group in mainland China from April 1, 2024. Ulbrich succeeds Marcus Hafkemeyer, who with his extensive experience of mainland China, will c...

South Korean carmaker Hyundai Motor Group (HMG) announced on Dec. 20, 2023, that Brian Latouf has been promoted to Hyundai Motor Group president and global chief safety and quality officer (GCSQO), effective Jan. 1, 2024. Latouf will report jointly to Jay Chang, Hyundai Motor Co.'s CEO, and Ho Sung Song, Kia Corp.'s CEO, the carmaker said in its press note. In his new role, Latouf will be responsible for leading global safety and quality for Hyundai, Genesis and Kia. The company said that ...

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...

Stellantis North America has appointed two executives to key roles in support of the Jeep brand as it prepares for its electric offensive in 2024. William Peffer has been named responsible for Jeep brand North America, having joined the company in 2020 as CEO of Maserati North America. Before this, he was COO of Kia Motors America. Jim Morrison has been named responsible for the newly formed Jeep Performance Parts business, where he will lead the effort to capitalize on significant growth opp...

In a press release on Nov. 30, Porsche Engineering announced Nazif Mehmet Yazici as the new CEO of its new North American subsidiary based in the Los Angeles area. Porsche Engineering Services North America, the latest subsidiary of the international technology services provider, focuses on vehicle and software development for market-specific functions and digital services, including their verification, validation and quality assurance. Yazici began his tenure at Porsche AG in 2007 as a qu...

Fisker has appointed David King as the chief technology officer, effective immediately, according to a press statement dated Nov. 3. King, who joined the company in 2021, replaced Burkhard Huhnke. King had previously served as Fisker's senior vice president and led the development and launch of the Ocean body program in Graz, Austria. King will now lead Fisker's global engineering and software teams in the US, Europe, India and mainland China, reporting to Chairman and CEO Henrik Fisker. King...

At a time faced with challenges over production shutdown owing to strikes at multiple plants, Ford Motor Co. has announced a management reorganization, promoting Combustion Vehicle Unit Chief Kumar Galhotra to the position of COO, even as the ongoing United Auto Workers' (UAW's) strike shows little signs of ending. Galhotra, who previously headed the Ford Blue unit that makes gas and hybrid vehicles, will now lead the automaker's global industrial system, Reuters reported October 19. Andrew F...

Swedish carmaker Volvo Cars has appointed Francesca Gamboni to head its procurement and supply chain team, starting from October 16, the company had announced via a press note issued on September 13. Gamboni’s appointment comes at a time when the carmaker is aggressively pursuing its goal of transitioning to become fully electric by 2030. The company said that Gamboni will be responsible for further evolving its lean, sustainable and regionalized supply chain, strengthening the backbone of ...

The election committee of AB Volvo has proposed that Pär Boman be appointed as the new chairman and board member at the Annual General Meeting in March 2024. As previously announced, Carl-Henric Svanberg, AB Volvo’s current chairman of the board, has declined reelection, a company press release said on September 22. Anders Oscarsson, a member of the AB Volvo election committee, said, “Pär Boman has extensive experience from serving on the boards of many Swedish listed companies in ...

To bolster its customer-focused transformation, US automaker Ford Motor Co. announced key leadership appointments on September 12. Elena Ford, Ford’s chief customer experience officer, is named chief dealer engagement officer, effective September 12. In this role, she will work closely with Ford’s 10,000 dealers worldwide to accelerate their transformation into a competitive differentiator across Ford’s global businesses. The original equipment manufacturer said Elena Ford and dealers g...

In a press release announcement on August 31, STMicroelectronics said that it will supply BorgWarner with the third-generation 750-V Silicon Carbide (SiC)-power metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) dice for their Viper-based power module. This power module is used in BorgWarner’s traction-inverter platforms for several current and future Volvo Cars' electric vehicles. “This collaboration will give Volvo Cars the opportunity to further increase the attractiveness of...

SAIC-GM has established its software and digital business organization, and appointed Wang Chendong and Tyson Becker as vice presidents to lead it, it said in a press release on August 25. Wang and Becker will establish a local team to design, develop and operate software solutions and services for intelligent connected and digital experiences for Chinese customers. Wang previously served as product, marketing and strategy director of SAIC-GM Connectivity and Experience, executive d...

Volkswagen of America, a fully-owned subsidiary of German carmaker Volkswagen AG, has appointed Lyndon Lie as the company’s new chief engineering officer, the company announced August 3. The new appointment is part of the company’s plan of expanding its leadership team, and design and engineering capabilities in North America. Lie, who will be based in Chattanooga, Tenn., brings extensive vehicle-engineering experience that will help the company drive new innovation, including design, ...

Mercedes-Benz Group’s supervisory board has reappointed Ola Källenius as chairman of the board of management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG until May 21, 2029, the company announced July 27. The board has also extended the contract of Markus Schäfer as the chief technology officer until May 21, 2026. As chief technology officer, Schäfer will be the board of management member responsible for Development and Procurement at the German luxury-car maker. The company also announced that Ren...

Volkswagen has made new appointments in its top executive team in order to strengthen its leadership as the German carmaker prepares to step up its transition to electric vehicles while developing new capabilities in areas such as components, software, EV charging, battery and others. On July 12, VW announced that there will be personnel changes at its software unit Cariad SE, Bentley Motors Ltd., Volkswagen AG, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles and Volkswagen Group Components from September 1...

South Korean carmaker Kia Corp.’s European subsidiary — Kia Europe — has appointed Pierre-Martin Bos as director for its Purpose-Built Vehicle (PBV) business, Kia announced July 10. The carmaker said that Bos will be working in the newly created position at Kia Europe from the regional headquarters in Frankfurt, Germany. Bos will take up his role at Kia Europe July 10, the company said. As a senior executive, Bos will take over the management of the dedicated team, which has bee...

Europe’s largest carmaker Volkswagen plans to drive strategic realignment of its electric vehicle Charging and Energy businesses and has appointed Giovanni Palazzo as the new head of these business units, VW announced July 10. VW said that Palazzo, who has taken over the new position from July 1, is responsible for the company’s global Charging and Energy business. He will also lead the Elli brand as CEO and head of Sales. Palazzo is tasked to focus on expanding VW’s fast-chargi...

Volkswagen Group has appointed Gernot Döllner as the new CEO of its luxury-car unit Audi AG with effect from September 1, VW said in a press note June 29. As the new CEO of Audi, Döllner will also take his place on Volkswagen AG’s Group board of management on the day he will join. Döllner will succeed the serving CEO Markus Duesmann, who is slated to resign from his position at the same time. Commenting on the new appointment, Chairman of Volkswagen’s supervisory board, Hans Dieter ...

Toyota Motor Europe (TME) has announced executive-level appointments at its European headquarters and changes to the company structure, with the appointment of one of its vice presidents to head up a new function focusing on Circular Economy, according to a press release dated June 22. It marks another move forward by TME as it accelerates the transformation toward a mobility company, built on the principles of carbon neutrality and sustainability. All changes are effective July 1, 2023. ...

Renault has announced that CEO Luca de Meo will also lead the executive team of Ampere, its electric vehicles and software subsidiary, in a press release June 19. De Meo will continue to work as the CEO of Renault Group. “Thanks to work done in the Renault Group over the past 2 years, Ampere is about to hit the ground running, supported by unmatched assets from Day 1: one of the most integrated EV value chains in the industry, a pioneering approach to Software Defined Vehicle, and stat...

In a restructuring of the senior management team at Ford Motor Co., Liz Door will return as the automaker’s chief Supply Chain officer, starting June 12, the Jim Farley-led company announced June 6. Door, who was serving as the leader of Global Strategic Sourcing for home-appliance maker Whirlpool Corp. for the past six years, will take over the responsibilities from Ford CFO John Lawler. Lawler has been managing the supply chain affairs at Ford on an interim basis since September 2022. Doo...

Stellantis on June 6 announced changes at the top executive team effective July 1, 2023. The company named Ned Curic, currently chief technology officer as the new chief engineering and technology officer, replacing Harald Wester, the current chief engineering officer, who is retiring. Béatrice Foucher, currently DS Automobiles CEO, is appointed chief planning officer, replacing Olivier Bourges. Olivier Bourges, currently chief planning officer, takes over as Global Corporate Office and Publ...

German luxury-car maker Mercedes-Benz has appointed two new top-level executives to lead the operations of its electric vehicle charging unit in North America — Mercedes-Benz HPC North America LLC, the company said May 31. Mercedes-Benz Mobility AG has appointed Andrew Cornelia as president and CEO at Mercedes-Benz HPC North America, and Christopher Trainor as the CFO, both effective June 2023. In their new roles, Cornelia and Trainor will be responsible for the launch and...

Tesla co-founder and former chief technical officer JB Straubel, who is also the founder of the battery-material recycling company Redwood Materials, is returning to Tesla to join its board of directors following a shareholder vote, according to a news report published by Electrek on May 16. Straubel had left Tesla in 2019 to launch his own venture, Redwood Materials, with an aim of establishing a circular economy for battery critical materials in the US. The report stated that Hiromi...

To accelerate its technology-driven transformation, US automaker General Motors Co. (GM) announced May 9 the appointment of Mike Abbott, former vice president of Engineering for Apple’s Cloud Services division, as executive vice president, Software, effective May 22. He will report to GM Chair and CEO Mary Barra. As a member of the senior leadership team, Abbott will lead a new integrated end-to-end software organization focused on the development of vehicle and enterprise software technolo...

South Korean vehicle manufacturer Hyundai Motor Group has appointed its current executive vice president Yong Wha Kim as the new head of R&D Division, effective May 1, the company announced on April 25. Kim will succeed Chung Kook Park, who also served as the head of the R&D Division, besides serving as the president at Hyundai Motor Company. The group has now appointed President Park as an advisor to the R&D team. Hyundai said that Kim had joined the carmaker in 2015 as an exp...

Europe’s largest carmaker Volkswagen has appointed Dirk Voeste as the new chief sustainability officer with effect from April 1, 2023, the company said on March 28. Voeste will report to Gernot Döllner, head of Group Strategy and general secretariat. Voeste’s appointment comes as the VW group has restructured its sustainability unit after Ralf Pfitzner moved on after serving the company for five years. VW further added that the company is also realigning the independent sustainability co...

Swedish battery maker Northvolt has announced Jim Hageman Snabe as the new chairman of the board of directors, the company said on 14 December 2022. Snabe is the former CEO and board member of SAP and  the chairman of Siemens, a board member of C3.ai, a member of the Board of Trustees of the World Economic Forum, and an adjunct professor at Copenhagen Business School. According to the company, the announcement is part of a long-term strategic initiative to build a more independent b...

Faraday Future has appointed Xuefeng Chen as the global CEO of Faraday Future, it said in a press release on 28 November. Chen will replace Carsten Breitfeld, who was removed as Global CEO by the Board of Directors following a comprehensive evaluation of the company’s performance since it went public in July 2021. “The FF 91 Futurist will deliver a unique user experience of the Ultimate Intelligent TechLuxury. With the completion of the manufacturing #6 milestone, we are just one step awa...

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...

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...

US-based electric vehicle (EV) maker, Karma Automotive has announced the appointment of Nicholas David as director, interior design Karma automotive, according to a press release by the automaker on 27 May. Nicholas David will lead the company’s global interior design development at Karma’s design center.   Commenting on the new role, Nicholas David, said, "I am excited to join the talented design team at Karma Automotive at a time when the design language is undergoing a radical cha...

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...

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...

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...

CARIAD has officially announced Herbert Diess as chairman of the company, according to a press release on 14 February. Diess had already taken over responsibility for software and CARIAD from Markus Duesmann as of 1 January 2022. CARIAD is the automotive software company in the Volkswagen Group. Hauke Stars and Hildegard Wortmann have been appointed as new members of the Supervisory Board of CARIAD SE. Hildegard Wortmann has been member of the board of Management for sales at Volkswagen since...

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...

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...

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 ...

STMicroelectronics (ST) announced on its official website on 9 June that Benedetto Vigna, president of the Analog, MEMS, and Sensors (AMS) Group, has informed the company that he will step down from his position on 31 August 2021 to become the CEO of another company. “I spent half of my life working with a formidable multicultural team to whom I am, and I will always be, grateful. Without such a great team, it would have been impossible to grow the AMS business at the levels of to...

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...

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...

Volvo Cars has appointed Ödgärd Andersson as new CEO of its autonomous drive (AD) software development company called Zenseact, the Swedish automaker announced in a press release on 14 October. The appointment is effective 1 November. Presently, Andersson is serving as chief digital officer at Volvo Cars. Before that, she was responsible for software development at Volvo Cars, including autonomous drive. “This background makes her the perfect candidate to lead this next phase of developme...

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...

French automotive manufacturer, Groupe PSA, has appointed Arnaud Deboeuf as its EVP of Manufacturing and Supply Chain. In a press statement issued by Groupe PSA on 3rd September, the company announced that Deboeuf joined the Executive Committee following the appointment of Yann Vincent as the CEO of Automotive Cell Company (ACC), a joint venture between Groupe PSA and Total. Arnaud Deboeuf has nearly 30 years of experience in the automotive industry, and was previously the Director of Industr...

Volkswagen (VW) has announced that Dirk Hilgenberg will be appointed as the chief executive officer of its Car.Software unit, according to the company's press release on 15 July. Hilgenberg is a former senior vice-president, manufacturing engineering at BMW Group. Christian Senger had headed the organization. VW also said that Markus Duesmann, CEO of Audi, will oversee the group's software business as part of its management board position. “I would like to thank Christian Senger for...

Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance has appointed Jean-François Salles as the global vice president of Supply Chain of the entity, Automotive Logistics reported on 8 June. Salles will replace Mark Sutcliffe who will become the senior vice president of the Alliance LCV business unit. Salles first joined Renault in 1996 as a project manager in trim and chassis logistics. He became director of supply chain for Europe at Renault in 2015 for more than four years, before moving into his current pos...

The Volkswagen (VW) Group’s Car.Software organization has appointed Björn Goerke as chief technology officer (CTO), effective 1 January 2020, according to a company press release on 18 December. In his new role, he will report to Christian Senger, VW brand board of management member with responsibility for Digital Car & Services and CEO of Car.Software. Goerke began his career in 1988 as a software developer in the technology field with SAP in Walldorf. He held various&n...

Volkswagen Group India has announced the consolidation of three of its passenger car subsidiaries after securing all the required statutory and regulatory approvals. The new entity will operate under the name of Skoda Auto Volkswagen Indian Private Limited (SAVWIPL). Significance: The companies coming together in this merger are Skoda Auto India Private Limited, Volkswagen India Private Limited, and Volkswagen Group Sales India Private Limited. Heading this new company will be Gurpratap ...

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...

Spanish carmaker SEAT has appointed Alfonso Sancha as executive vice president of Purchasing, effective 1 September, the company said in a press release on 22 August. Sancha will replace Klaus Ziegler, who has been appointed as head of Purchasing for connectivity, e-mobility, and driver assistance systems for the Volkswagen (VW) Group. Sancha will also be a part of the SEAT Executive Committee. Sancha has worked extensively at the VW Group and SEAT and handled several external purchasing assi...

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...

Ford has appointed Jim Farley as president of New Business, Technology & Strategy, the company said in a press release on 10 April. In his new role, Farley will oversee the US automaker’s strategy as well as Ford Smart Mobility, Ford Autonomous Vehicles and Research & Advanced Engineering, Corporate Partnerships and Global Data Insight & Analytics. The company has also promoted Joe Hinrichs to the post of president of Automotive business. Hinrichs will oversee the US automaker�...

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...

Volkswagen Group (VW) has created a new division called “Digital Car and Services”, the automaker said in a press release on 25 February. The division will focus on bringing more robust software into VW Group vehicles to deliver better mobility experience to passengers. VW has appointed Christian Senger, head of the new function with effect from 1 March 2019. “The share of software in vehicles is surging, it accounts for an ever-growing proportion of total value added, and therefore has...

French automaker Renault has appointed the current CEO of the Michelin Group Jean-Dominique Senard as its new chairman, Renault announced in a press release on 24 January. Senard’s appointment is effective 24 January, according to a Michelin press release. Senard will continue serving as Michelin CEO until his term expires in May 2019. Florent Menegaux will replace Senard as head of Michelin when Senard’s term expires as per the plan announced in February 2018. In his new role, Senard ...

Home appliances-to-automotive company Dyson has appointed Roland Krueger as the head of its electric car business, Automotive News Europe reported on 22 January. The appointment will be effective from April 2019. Krueger will be based at Dyson’s new headquarters in Singapore. Most recently, Krueger served as the president of Nissan’s Infiniti brand, a position Krueger held since 2014. Krueger has also worked at BMW as head of the brand’s German market. “Krueger's appointment proves ho...

PSA has appointed Antonio Cobo as vice-president of manufacturing and supply chain for its Opel/Vauxhall brand, Opel said in a press release 14 December. In his new role, Cobo will be responsible for manufacturing operations at Opel and Vauxhall and overseeing the areas of supply chain, facilities management, environment compliance and sustainability. Cobo will replace Rémi Girardon, who is expected to take a key executive position within the manufacturing and supply chain of the PSA Group. ...

GM has appointed its president Dan Amman as CEO of Cruise Automation, the self-driving vehicle unit of the company, the automaker said in a press release on 29 November. As CEO, Amman will lead commercialization of autonomous driving at the US automaker. Kyle Vogt, co-founder of Cruise, who is also currently serving as its CEO will become president and chief technology officer (CTO) and will lead technology development at Cruise. The appointments will be effective 1 January 2019. “Thes...

BMW’s supervisory board has appointed Andreas Wendt as the new member of its board of management responsible for purchasing and supplier network, effective 1 October, the German automaker said in a press release on 26 September. Since joining BMW in 2002, Wendt has held several key responsibilities in manufacturing and developed expertise in managing quality and complexity. Since January 2017, he has been director of the automaker’s largest German plant in Dingolfing. Prior to that, he ...

Faraday Future has appointed Jeff Risher as vice president for Product, Technology, IP Strategy, the company announced in a press release today (18 September). Risher will report to Faraday Future’s global CEO YT Jia and will oversee overall product strategy, advanced technology adoption, and strategic relationships. Most recently, Risher served as the chief intellectual property counsel and chief litigation counsel at Tesla. Prior to Tesla, Risher held various senior legal and IP leadershi...

The Volkswagen (VW) Group has appointed Dr. Stefan Sommer as member of its board of management, with responsibility for procurement, the German automaker said in a press release on 9 July. Sommer’s appointment will become effective from 1 January 2019. He will replace Dr. Francisco Javier Garcia Sanz, who left VW in April this year. Sommer, most recently, worked as CEO of ZF. He was CEO of the German supplier between May 2012 and December 2017 and steered the acquisition and integration of ...

Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi has appointed Kal Mos to lead the connected car activities of the alliance, Automotive News Europe reported on 6 July. Mos succeeds Ogi Redzic, who had joined the former Renault-Nissan Alliance as head of connected vehicles and mobility services in 2016. Mos joined Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi in March this year as global vice-president for connected vehicles. Prior to joining the alliance, he worked at Daimler as vice-president of artificial intelligence (AI) and digit...

Electric vehicle start-up Sono Motors has hired Thomas Hausch as its new chief operating officer (COO), the company announced in a press release on 5 July. Hausch will be responsible for the development and implementation of business strategies and production decisions, and for the management of strategic partners and suppliers. The appointment will be effective immediately. Most recently, Hausch served as CEO of Nissan Center Europe, where he was involved in advancing electromobility. Hausch...

Volvo Trucks has appointed Edward Jobson as the vice president of the new Electromobility function, the company announced in a press release on 3 July. In the new role, Jobson will develop and lead work in Volvo Trucks' Electromobility business unit, which has unified function for development of electrified solutions for goods transport. Most recently, Jobson served as the chief engineer at Volvo Buses and has relevant experience in sustainable transport and electromobility. Volvo previo...

Valmet Automotive has appointed Olaf Bongwald as its new chief executive officer (CEO), the company announced in a press release on 5 June. The appointment will be effective from 15 July 2018. Bongwald will be based out of Germany and will also participate in business development activities in Central Europe. He will replace Ilpo Korhonen who stepped down as the company’s CEO in January this year. Most recently, Bongwald served as the president of Driveline Europe at American Axle. Before t...

Tesla has appointed Stuart Bowers as vice president of engineering, the company announced on its website on 25 May. Bowers will be responsible for a broad range of Tesla’s software and hardware engineering. Bowers joins Tesla with 12 years of software experience. Most recently, he served as vice president of Monetization Engineering at Snap, where he led the team with a focus on machine learning and ad infrastructure. Prior to Snap, Bowers was with Facebook where he worked on data infrastru...

Ford Smart Mobility, a wholly owned subsidiary of Ford, has realigned the executive team of Autonomic, the US automaker said in a press release on 10 May. The company has appointed Gavin Sherry as the new CEO. Sherry, a co-founder of Autonomic, most recently served as vice president of Engineering. As CEO of the company, he will be responsible for driving growth and adoption of Autonomic’s Transportation Mobility Cloud. Sherry has replaced Sandeep (Sunny) Madra, who is now vice president of...

Electric vehicle (EV) start-up has appointed Jesse Schneider as vice president of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies, the company announced in a press release on 11 April. Nikola informed that  Schneider will spearhead efforts with the Fuel Cell R&D Division working with Bosch in Germany and the hydrogen fueling technology team for the Nikola stations with NEL Hydrogen in Norway. He will also lead the development of the Nikola R&D Center in Phoenix. Previously, Schneider worked ...

French automaker PSA has appointed Alain Raposo as senior vice president for Powertrain and Chassis Engineering, the company announced in a press release on 5 April. Raposo will be reporting to Gilles Le Borgne, executive vice president, Quality and Engineering and member of the executive committee. Raposo has headed PSA Groupe’s electric vehicle (EV) program since July 2017. Raposo has also served as global vice president of Alliance Powertrain  & EV Engineering at Renault-Nissan.

News The key news and events shaping the automotive supply base in the last month E-Mobility How are tranmission manufacturers and the wider automotive industry preparing and positioning for impending rise in hybrid demand? Thermal Modest projected adoption by global OEMs is expected to limit the use of CO2 (R744) refrigerants toniche variants or options in the near term. Who-Supplies-Whom Details of suppliers to the new Buick Enclave. Includes a look at the C1XX platform an...

Daimler’s mytaxi has appointed Marc Berg as new CEO, effective 16 April, according to the company’s press release last week. Berg will replace Andrew Pinnington, who has decided to resign from the company. Pinnington will remain in the business to ensure smooth transition in the leadership. Berg is currently working as CEO of Kalna DACH, a company specializing in secured online payment services in Europe. Significance: Founded in 2009, mytaxi is a popular taxi app that offers direct conne...