Dayco introduces new leadership team to drive growth

Birmingham, Michigan – US engine product and drive systems supplier Dayco has  undergone major organisational changes, having introduced a new senior leadership team and relocated its headquarters from Troy, Michigan to Birmingham in the same state.

The appointments follow the 2020 acquisition of the automotive supplier by Hidden Harbor Capital Partners, which has been focused on building “a global leadership team” to deliver long-term growth.

Joining Dayco are Michael Widgren as chief financial and administrative officer, RJ Corning as chief human resources officer and Clifton Levack as chief supply officer, said Dayco in a recent statement.

Furthermore, Audrey Harling has been appointed as VP and managing director of North America aftermarket and global strategy and planning, and Thomas Jauch as VP managing director of global belts OE.

They join Steve Keller, general counsel, and other aftermarket managing directors Ruggero Semola – EMEA; Marcelo Sanches – LATAM; and Arnold Mouw – APAC.

The new executive leadership team – enlisted between summer 2023 and April 2024 – will work with CEO Craig Frohock to implement the group’s “ongoing transformation”.

The new team, said Frohock, brings “a wealth of knowledge and experience to Dayco and will enable us to continue meeting the needs of our customers.”

According to the Dayco statement, Widgren joined the group in June last year and brings more than 30 years of “extensive global financial and operational experience.” Prior to joining Dayco he was the VP finance and CFO DRIV at Tenneco, Inc.

Corning has over 20 years of experience across automotive, consumer goods and industrial industries, having served in global leadership positions in several HR practice areas.

Prior to joining Dayco, he was the VP human resources at Dover Corp. His previous experiences span Whirlpool, Meritor, Chrysler, and General Motors.

Levack joins Dayco from Mann+Hummel GmbH where he was VP global logistics & aftermarket distribution. Levack is tasked to implement “leading-edge supply chain management practices that minimise risk, enhance the customer experience and improve time to market.”

Having previously worked with Tenneco, Valeo and Ford, Harling has over 20 years of experience in strategic planning and operations for automotive aftermarket.

Jauch joins Dayco from Hella, where he most recently served as EVP and led the group’s €2-billion headlamps business. He will be implementing growth strategies and operational improvements in his new role at Dayco.