Promotions and new hires: March 2023

Here are the latest hirings and promotions in the commercial vehicle industry for March 2023.

Stemco

Stemco has hired Drew Coen as senior director of global marketing and Todd DiMascio as senior director of global sales. These two personnel acquisitions follow Jeff Barr’s retirement from the position of senior director of sales and marketing. Both Coen and DiMascio have worked with Stemco for several years in leadership roles, including director of sales for OEM and national accounts for DiMascio and director of product management for Coen.

“I appreciate everything Jeff has done for Stemco and wish him and Jeannie the absolute very best in retirement,” said Chip Stuhr, vice president and general manager at Stemco. “I am confident Drew and Todd will continue to meet and exceed customer expectations moving forward.”

Mack Trucks

Mack Trucks has promoted Wayne McDonald to regional VP for Canada. As part of his new duties, McDonald will head the Canadian regional sales team in strategy development throughout the area. Prior to his promotion, McDonald has worked for Mack Trucks since 2005, and has been the director of fleet sales for Canada since April, 2021.

“I’m excited to welcome Wayne to our leadership team in Canada,” said Jonathan Randall, president of Mack Trucks North America. “Wayne is a longtime Mack employee with proven success in meeting our customers’ transportation needs. His extensive industry knowledge of all aspects of the commercial truck business will serve Mack customers and Canadian dealers well.”

Motive

Gary Johnson has joined Motive as the company’s newest head of market strategy. Prior to joining Motive, Johnson served at Lytx, Ryder Systems, FedEx, and Transport Corporation. Now, he’ll be responsible for supporting all aspects of Motive marketing, including webinars, presentations, networking, and written communication.

“I’ve had the pleasure of watching Motive grow from afar throughout the years,” said Johnson. “It’s an honor to be joining this exceptional team during a time when accurate AI and automation are changing the game for commercial fleets.”

The Shyft Group

The Shyft Group has invited Pamela Kermisch, chief customer growth officer at Polaris, to its board of directors. Alongside her new duties as a member of the board, Kermisch is responsible for managing the company’s relationships with existing customers and expanding brand awareness, all while also serving on the Greater Twin Cities United Way Board of Directors and the Marketing Department Advisory Board of the University of Arizona Eller School of Business.

“Pam brings a proven track record of successfully guiding brand strategy and positioning as well as dealer/retail marketing,” said James Sharman, chair of the Shyft board. “In addition, her operational expertise in commercial strategy, insights and analytics, digital transformation, and customer experience will complement our existing Board.”

Ford

Ford has hired John Dion as the company’s newest chief transformation officer. Beginning April 3, 2023, Dion will report to Ford CEO Jim Farley and oversee global deployment methodologies based on lean manufacturing for the company. Dion joins Ford from ESAB Corp., a fabrication and specialty gas-control organization, where he served as VP of business excellence, and held leadership positions with Danaher Corp. for several years before that.

“John’s an expert in all of the principles of Lean, and he and his team will provide our culture the urgency, guidance and support we need to reassert and raise Ford’s reputation for excellence, thrift and growth,” Farley said.

Double Coin

Double Coin and CMA have appointed Tim Kelly as its newest original equipment and national fleet manager. Kelly's new duties will include managing Double Coin truck tire sales to North American fleet channels. Prior to joining the company, Kelly served with Bridgestone Firestone in 1988 before moving to the commercial truck tire sphere with the same company in 2000 and retiring as national fleet manager in 2022.

“Tim’s skillset and experience will successfully enhance our operations and contribute to our goals for growth and customer satisfaction,” said Aaron Murphy, Double Coin’s senior vice president. “He has a deep understanding of the commercial segment of the tire business and its customer needs.”