General Motors today named Delphi executive Steve Kiefer head of global powertrain operations -- a post that has been vacant for more than two years.
Kiefer, 50, has been a senior vice president at Delphi and head of its powertrain systems unit since 2011. He will become vice president of GM’s global powertrain operations on Sept. 1, GM said in a statement.
Keifer will report to Mary Barra, GM’s executive vice president of global product development.
“As GM continues to bring new vehicle engine and drivetrain technologies and innovations to the marketplace, Steve’s customer perspective, technical expertise and proven leadership will further bolster our global powertrain team,” Barra said in a statement.
GM has gone without a formal head of global powertrain since February 2011, when former chief Jamie Hresko resigned.
Those duties had been split by Jim Lanzon, a vice president in charge of GM’s global transmission systems, and Sam Winegarden, who until last month was vice president of global engine engineering.
Winegarden was forced to resign amid problems with a diesel engine program in India, sources have said.
Lanzon has been overseeing both transmission and engine duties on an interim basis since Winegarden’s departure. He will continue to serve as transmissions chief, reporting to Kiefer, GM said.
Since 1983, Kiefer served in several top engineering positions in the thermal and HVAC divisions at Delphi, which was spun off from GM in 1999. He has a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Michigan State University and an MBA from the University of Michigan.
Kiefer will relocate from Luxembourg to his home state of Michigan, where he will be based at GM’s powertrain headquarters in Pontiac, Mich.
