New Dana 'Global Customer Champion' Initiative Crosses Boundaries
18 May 1999
New Dana 'Global Customer Champion' Initiative Crosses Divisional, Product BoundariesTOLEDO, Ohio, May 17 -- Dana Corporation's Automotive Systems and Engine Systems Groups announced today a new initiative to strengthen the company's growing strategic and systems supplier relationships with its OEM customers. As part of this strategic initiative Dana has begun appointing business development directors for the corporation's major global OEM customers. Today, Dana named three new global business development directors, and the company plans to appoint other directors in the near future. Those who were appointed to the new positions and their customer assignments include: Edward Kammann, DaimlerChrysler; David Major, Ford and Mazda; and Laurence Slevin, General Motors, Isuzu and Opel. Customer-specific business development positions are not new for Dana, but the creation of senior sales positions representing such a breadth of technology across multiple divisions and product lines is another Dana step forward in a strategic partnering process as a full system supplier with its OEM customers. Dana has grown rapidly, nearly tripling in size to $12.5 billion, since 1991. During this period it has also added new technologies, core products and complete systems capabilities. The company's leadership position as a global system supplier prompted the need to elevate its business program development with OEM customers to a new level. Dana's OEM accounts will continue to be served by account managers along major product lines. The new business development directors appointed today have responsibility for coordinating, on a global basis, the full range of products, technologies, and system capabilities across divisions and product lines that comprise the company's Automotive Systems and Engine Systems Groups, and acting as "customer champions" within Dana to help keep the company in sync with its customers in development of new technology and systems innovations. The Automotive Systems Group provides "under the vehicle" systems including axles, brakes and chassis systems, driveshafts, structural products, and a variety of modular assemblies. "Under the hood" systems provided by the Engine Systems Group include fluid system products, sealing products, and engine products. "As a global supplier of complete systems, we saw an opportunity to refine and strengthen the way we interact with our customers by selecting one person to serve as a single Dana point of contact who will work at a high level in his customer's organization and in Dana to coordinate global strategies and the sourcing of our technologies and systems," said Bill Carroll, president of the Automotive Systems Group. "We're pleased to find the right Dana people to fill these roles. We will name additional directors for other global customers in the very near future." "Appointing a global 'customer champion' to each of our major OEM customers will provide our customers with quicker and synergistic responses," added Chuck Heine, president of the Engine Systems Group. "We will be better able to respond to our OEM customers' needs in terms of technology, quality, commercial issues, and logistics." Slevin, a 25-year Dana veteran, is business development director for General Motors, Isuzu and Opel. Previously he was director of sales and marketing for the Parish Light Vehicle Structures Division. Since joining Dana, he also has worked in the Perfect Circle and Driveshaft Divisions. Major, with 20 years of service, is business development director for Ford and Mazda. He was sales manager of the Spicer Axle Division, and worked in various sales roles in the Perfect Circle, Warner Electric and Spicer Divisions. Kammann is business development director for DaimlerChrysler. He joined Dana when the company acquired Echlin Automotive in 1998. He has worked for Hand & Harman Automotive Group, Tru-Val Tubing Company, Wilco-Canada, ITT Higbie Manufacturing and Essex International. The three new directors join Hans Katzmaier, who earlier was appointed business development director in Germany for DaimlerChrysler, BMW, Volkswagen, and Fiat Auto. Other similar positions are expected to be added to address the global systems sourcing needs of Dana's OEM customers. Dana Automotive Systems Group provides under-the-vehicle products, integrated modules and systems to customers anywhere in the world. Automotive Systems Group consists of Spicer(R) axle products, Spicer(R) driveshaft products, Parish(R) structural products, Nakata(R) steering and suspension, FTE(R) brake and clutch systems, and a systems engineering integration and logistics unit. Dana Engine Systems Group provides components, modules, and complete systems solutions to engine builders worldwide. The group's product lines include Victor Reinz(R) gaskets and sealing products, Perfect Circle(R) piston rings and engine parts, Glacier(R) Vandervell(R) engine bearings, Fluid System Products, and Plumley powertrain components. Dana Corporation is one of the world's largest independent suppliers to vehicle manufacturers and the aftermarket. Founded in 1904 and based in Toledo, Ohio, the company operates some 330 major facilities in 32 countries and employs more than 86,000 people. The company reported sales of $12.5 billion in 1998. Dana's Internet address is http://www.dana.com.