ALLENTOWN, Pa. – International automotive supplier Continental announced the retirement of Jerry Gabbard as vice president and general manager of the Commercial Vehicles and Aftermarket (CVAM) business unit within the company’s Interior Division, a position he has held since December 2007. Gabbard retires after 13 years with Continental.

James Bayley succeeds Gabbard, assuming the position of vice president and general manager of CVAM in North America. In this role, Bayley will be responsible for the organization’s strategic development and overall executive management for its Commercial Vehicles, Specialty Vehicles, Aftermarket, Transportation Technologies and Original Equipment Services business segments. Bayley will also oversee the design engineering, customer support and focus factory resources at Continental’s manufacturing facility in Guadalajara, Mexico.

As a 10-year veteran of Continental, Bayley has held a variety of assignments within the company, including business development manager and global sales and portfolio manager. His most recent position was director of FIAT Chrysler Customer Center, Instrumentation & Driver HMI business unit within the company’s Interior division.

Before joining Continental, Bayley worked at Visteon Corp. and Ford Motor Co. He has more than 24 years of experience in the fields of engineering, project management, sales and business development.

Bayley earned his bachelor’s of science degree in materials science and engineering from the University of Michigan and his master’s degree in chemical engineering from the University of Detroit. He is an active member of a number of industry trade organizations including the Original Equipment Supplier Association (OESA), the Motor Equipment and Manufacturing Association (MEMA) and the American Trucking Association.