GKN Automotive, a leading global technology company, has appointed Dirk Kesselgruber as the new president of its ePowertrain division to boost the already rapidly expanding GKN eDrive business.

He will report directly to GKN Automotive’s CEO, Liam Butterworth, and joins from Schaeffler AG, where he was president of the chassis systems business. This follows over 20 years of experience in senior roles in the global automotive industry, including posts at BMW, TRW Automotive and ZF.

Mr Butterworth said: “Dirk is joining GKN Automotive at a crucial time for our business. Our advanced systems for electrified vehicles, combined with significant investments in people and technologies, have already put us in a market-leading position.

“But we intend to go further, both with our products and expanding our customer base. Dirk has the experience, expertise and leadership qualities to help us achieve that.”

Mr Kesselgruber, who will take up the position on 1 October, said: “It is a great honour to be joining GKN Automotive, a company with such an impressive portfolio, true global leadership and a 20-year history of eDrive technologies.

“I am relishing the opportunity to work with the leadership team, our expert engineers and our global customers to help drive the business forward to the next phase of growth.”

GKN eDrive systems are now powering over one million electrified vehicles. The latest technologies include a leading ‘three in one’ unit, combining inverter, motor and transmission, allowing lighter, smaller and more-efficient electric drive systems.