ZF Appoints Matthias Benz Head of Global ZF Sales and Service Organization and Dr. Franz Kleiner CFO of ZF Group NAO

NORTHVILLE, Mich.--ZF – a leading worldwide supplier of driveline and chassis technology – named Matthias Benz, as the head of the global ZF Sales and Service Organization (SSO). He had been CFO of ZF Group North American Operations and will be replaced in that position by Dr. Franz Kleiner.

Benz, joined ZF in 1991 and has held several positions within the company in Germany and North America. In his new position, he will be located at the ZF headquarters in Friedrichshafen, Germany, and will be responsible for all sales and service activities for ZF worldwide, including aftermarket.

Dr. Kleiner, 47, joined ZF in 2006 and is currently the CFO for the ZF Car Chassis Technology Division within North America. He will continue these responsibilities in his new position. Prior to joining ZF, he was CFO Central Region for Nortel. He also worked for Daimler for 15 years in finance positions within the automotive and telecommunications.

Dr. Kleiner earned a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Stuttgart University in Germany, and is a resident of Farmington Hills, Mich.

ZF is a leading worldwide supplier of driveline and chassis technology. Headquartered in Friedrichshafen, Germany, ZF is among the 15 largest automotive suppliers in the world. The company employs approximately 55,000 at 122 locations in 26 countries, and totaled sales of $15.2 billion in 2006.

ZF operates an extensive manufacturing network in North America, combined with global research and development capabilities, to provide advanced technology to the NAFTA region. The ZF Group North American Operations Headquarters and Technical Center is located in Northville, Mich., USA.