Delphi Names Executives to Key European Assignments
Avila named managing director, Europe for Delphi Energy & Chassis; Chauvin retires after 40 years of service to the automotive industry
TROY, Mich., Feb. 12 -- Jose Avila, 48, has been named managing director of Delphi Energy & Chassis' European Operations, effective March 1, 2004. He succeeds Dominique Chauvin, 63, who will retire after 40 years of dedicated service in the automotive industry. Chauvin was instrumental in leading Delphi's worldwide diesel business.
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Avila will report to Guy C. Hachey, Delphi vice president and president of Delphi Energy & Chassis, and to Volker J. Barth, Delphi vice president and president Europe, Middle East and Africa. He will continue to serve on the divisional executive staff and joins the European Strategy Board.
Previously, Avila was the business line executive for the diesel business and had also assisted Chauvin in implementing the division's European growth strategy.
"Dominique is a highly respected leader in our company and in the automotive industry," Hachey said. "He has brought strong customer focus to our company and has developed a highly skilled leadership team in Europe. We are grateful that Dominique has agreed to help in the transition in the coming months."
"Jose Avila is highly recognized for his excellent technical background in powertrains as well as his customer focus," Barth said. "He is a respected leader among the Delphi executive team and is very well suited for this critical European assignment."
"Delphi has a broad product portfolio in Europe," Hachey said, "including several high growth products such as diesel and gas engine management systems. Jose has hands-on experience with the highly technical applications of our products and is keenly aware of key business trends that impact our customers and our products."
In related moves, Jonathan B. DeGaynor, 37, has succeeded Avila as business line executive for the diesel business. DeGaynor reports to Avila and to Atul Pasricha, Delphi vice president and executive director of business lines for Delphi Energy & Chassis. Previously, DeGaynor was director of operations for diesel systems, Delphi Energy & Chassis. He continues to be based in LaGarenne, France, and has joined the division's executive staff.
BIOS of Jose Avila, Dominique Chauvin and Jonathan B. DeGaynor follow:
Jose Avila, 48, is named managing director of Europe for Delphi Energy & Chassis. Most recently Avila served on a special assignment assisting in the development and implementation of the division's European growth strategy. Prior to this special assignment, Avila was business line executive (BLE), diesel systems business line for Delphi Energy & Chassis Systems. In this role, Avila was responsible for managing product strategy, product success, and the profit and loss for the product line. The diesel systems business line includes light and medium-duty common rail, heavy-duty diesel systems, rotary pumps, and fuel filtration.
After working several years in the aerospace industry, Avila began his Delphi career approximately 20 years ago, serving in a variety of engineering roles. Previously, he was the business line executive for Delphi Energy & Chassis' engine management systems (EMS) business line. He also served as chief engineer for the EMS product line. In addition, Avila has held several other chief engineer positions within Delphi, including serving four years at the European Tech Center in Bascharage, Luxembourg.
Fluent in four languages, Avila holds master's degrees in business administration and mechanical engineering from the University of Pittsburgh.
Dominique Chauvin, 63, was managing director of Delphi Energy & Chassis Systems - Europe, prior to electing to retire effective March 1, 2004. In this role, he had oversight responsibility for all activities of the division in the European region.
Chauvin spent the first 26 years of his career at AMP Inc., a global producer of electronic connection and switching devices. While at AMP Inc., he held various positions in France, Spain, and Brazil. In 1990, Chauvin joined Varity as head of Massey Ferguson France. He was later promoted to president of the Massey Ferguson group in Coventry, U.K. He remained in that position for a year after the company was sold to the ACGO group in 1994.
He returned to Varity in 1995, when he was named president of the Kelsey- Hayes Braking Division in Livonia, Mich. He became managing director of the Diesel Systems division in 1996, following the merger of Lucas Diesel Systems and Varity. Chauvin joined Delphi when Lucas was acquired in January 2000.
Chauvin followed a commercial curriculum and graduated from HEC, the top French business school. He speaks five languages.
Jonathan B. DeGaynor, 37, is named business line executive (BLE), diesel systems for Delphi Energy & Chassis. In this role, DeGaynor is responsible for managing product strategy, product success and the profit and loss for the product line. The diesel systems business line includes light and medium-duty common rail, heavy-duty diesel systems, rotary pumps, and fuel filtration
Previously, DeGaynor was the director of operations of diesel systems for Delphi Energy & Chassis (E&C) Systems in LaGarenne, France.
DeGaynor began his career in 1987 as a college intern at AC Rochester in Coopersville, Mich. He held various process and product engineering roles in Coopersville and Rochester, N.Y. from 1988 -1990. In 1991, he pursued a master's in business administration from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, as a General Motors (GM) Fellowship.
After DeGaynor completed his GM fellowship in 1993, he joined AC Rochester as a manager for technology planning and advanced engineering. He was promoted in 1996 to assistant staff engineer and later that same year became superintendent of manufacturing engineering for spark plugs in the Flint East facility. In 1999, he became senior administrator for Delphi E&C, working in venture development, and was part of the acquisition team for Delphi Diesel Systems. He was appointed to his current position in 2000.
DeGaynor earned a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Michigan in 1988 and an MBA in 1993 from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.
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