DENSO, a leading mobility supplier, announced that John Klassen has been promoted to president of DENSO’s thermal manufacturing facility in Guelph, Ontario. The change took effect July 1.

Klassen has led daily operations onsite as plant director since 2018. He succeeds Andris Staltmanis, who will continue in his primary role as business leader for the DENSO Thermal Systems (TAC) business unit.

“John is natural and visionary leader,” Staltmanis said. “His significant industry experience and in-depth knowledge of our facility’s operations will carry us into the future of thermal mobility products, which are key to advancing vehicle efficiency, safety and comfort.”

Klassen originally joined DENSO’s Guelph facility in 2006 as a manufacturing section leader for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) production. He was promoted to manager in 2012 and became a production director in 2018. Throughout his DENSO career, Klassen has led and aligned the DENSO Canada team toward innovation, launching production-enhancing initiatives such as the Living Process Failure Mode Effects Analysis (PFMEA) quality system.

Klassen will use his 20 years of automotive manufacturing and leadership experience to guide the facility through industry shifts, work closely with employees and facility leaders to serve DENSO’s customers, and contribute to DENSO’s ongoing efforts to create safe, green and connected mobility solutions that bring peace of mind to all.

“I’m honored to be chosen for this role,” Klassen said. “I’m also eager to collaborate with our teams in Canada and around the world to add to DENSO’s already-rich manufacturing pedigree while being a great place to work. We will remain focused on quality, safety and delivery as we provide new value to our customers and society.”