AIAG Names Simmons Executive Director
4 February 1998
AIAG Names Simmons Executive Director
SOUTHFIELD, Mich. Feb. 4 -- The Automotive Industry Action
Group (AIAG) board of directors announced that Richard T. Simmons, loaned
executive to the AIAG from Ford Motor Company, has succeeded Thomas S. Hoy as
the executive director of the organization. Hoy, on loan from General Motors,
will remain with the AIAG overseeing the Automotive Network eXchange (ANX(TM))
and Year 2000 initiatives.
As executive director, Simmons is responsible for guiding all industry-
sponsored projects ongoing at AIAG as well as for the strategic focus and
continued growth of the organization.
Simmons has been on loan to AIAG since January 1996 from Ford Motor
Company's purchasing organization. Prior to becoming executive director in
January 1998, Simmons was the AIAG loaned executive involved with the Year
2000 Task Force, the Automotive Network eXchange (ANX) initiative and the
Supplier Quality Requirements Task Force.
"Dick has been very active with the Year 2000 and ANX initiatives ongoing
at the AIAG," said Roger N. Sergeant, chairman of the AIAG Board and
Automotive Industry Manager for IBM Corp. "His creative leadership has helped
launch these two essential projects and has prepared him well to lead the
AIAG."
Before becoming a full-time loan to AIAG, Simmons served as Director of
Body & Exterior Parts Purchasing for Ford Motor Company since January 1995.
He has been with Ford Motor Company for 30 years and involved with its
purchasing activities since he joined the company in 1968. He has served Ford
in various purchasing assignments including Director of Chassis, Electrical
and Drivetrain Parts Purchasing.
Simmons earned a bachelor's degree in business administration from the
University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, and is a member of the Society of
Automotive Engineers (SAE).
Since 1982, Chrysler Corporation, Ford Motor Company and General Motors
have made a commitment to consistently provide the organization a full-time
loaned executive. Each year, one of these Big Three loaned executives assumes
the role of executive director, with this position being rotated among each of
the automakers.
While rooted with the Big Three, the loan program at AIAG goes beyond the
automakers to include truck manufacturers, suppliers and construction
companies. Current industry executives on loan to AIAG include Frank Bay of
Deere & Company; Donald Blair of Dana Corporation; Ed Stines, a retired
Chrysler executive sponsored by the construction industry companies; and David
Lalain, a part-time loan from PPG Industries.
Founded in 1982, AIAG is a not-for-profit trade association of more than
1,300 North American auto and truck manufacturers and their suppliers.
Originally recognized for its efforts to standardize electronic data
interchange (EDI) and bar code standards to assist Tier One suppliers, AIAG's
mission has expanded to cover all levels of the OEM supply chain, as well as
to include numerous programs and initiatives aimed at improving its members'
productivity and quality.
SOURCE Automotive Industry Action Group