Many organizations honored achievement and recognized new talent with hirings and promotions throughout the month of September.
Truck, trailer, and body OEMs
Bruce Williams has been promoted to national sales director of National Accounts for the U.S. for Marathon Brake Systems. Williams will report to President Scott Simmonds in the course of his new responsibilities. Williams has previously worked at both the WD/Dealer level and has experience managing accounts and sales groups for multi-product line manufacturers, as well as additional experience with shock absorber and brake work.
Marathon Brake Systems has appointed Joe Smith as business development manager in the U.S. and Canada. Smith will report to Marathon’s president, Scott Simmonds, and will work closely with sales and marketing to grow business in North America. Prior to his promotion, Smith has served the commercial truck and trailer brake segment for over 40 years and worked for several friction manufacturers.
Kevin Bangston has been promoted to president and CEO of Daimler Truck Financial Services North America effective September 1, 2024. He succeeds Richard Howard, who is retiring after 31 years with Daimler, and will now be responsible for Daimler Truck Financial Services (DTFS) in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. Bangston first began his career at Daimler Truck North America in 2001 in corporate finance and went on to hold various leadership positions in Germany, Indonesia, and Japan before his current appointment.
Wabash is transitioning Mike Pettit from his role as senior vice president and chief financial officer to the new position of senior vice president and chief growth officer. Pettit’s new role will focus on driving growth initiatives, expanding market reach, and enhancing Wabash’s parts and services business. Previously, he served in both financial and operational capacities.
Patrick Keslin has accepted a promotion to senior vice president and chief financial officer from his previous role as vice president of finance at Wabash. Keslin has worked in the financial sector for over two decades and served at Wabash for seven years. Now, he will oversee Wabash’s financial strategy, reporting, and performance.
Read more: People and Positions June 2024
Summit Truck Bodies has transitioned Duston Hansen to his new role as sales representative, where he will cover Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. Hansen will take over the position from his predecessor, Dennis Weiler, after serving as the Summit Truck Bodies Service Manager since 2017. Hansen will continue to work with Weiler until Weiler’s retirement in December 2024.
William Burns, CEO of Zebra Technologies Corporation, has been appointed to the Board of Directors of Oshkosh Corporation. Burns has worked in the technology sector for over three decades and first joined Zebra Technologies in 2015. Prior to becoming CEO, he served as chief product and solutions officer.
Suppliers and distributors
Dayco has promoted Audrey Harling to vice president and managing director of North America Aftermarket and Global Strategy and Planning. Prior to joining Dayco, Harling worked in the automotive aftermarket and OE operational and commercial spaces, most recently as group vice president and general manager at DRiV (Tenneco) EMEA Aftermarket. Before this, she worked at Valeo Thermal Systems as director of North American Program Management and as head of Thermal Ford business unit.
Thomas Jauch joined Dayco as vice president and managing director of Global Belts OE. Before his latest posting, he served as executive vice president at Hella and led the company’s global headlamps business, as well as serving as a member of the executive board in Business Group Lighting. He has also held leadership positions at Continental Automotive and Road Broad Automotive.
The VSE Corporation appointed Adam Cohn as chief financial officer, and Garry Snow as chief growth officer. Cohn will be responsible for VSE’s financial strategies and lead its global finance organization, including planning, operational finance, treasury, and more. Snow’s role is newly created and involves overseeing customer and supplier business development and marketing.