KYB Americas Corp. says it is committed to the growth and development of its associates, which includes promoting from within whenever possible. The latest internal promotion will see Erick Kinnunen move to the newly created position of national training manager. 

Kinnunen, a 19-year veteran of KYB, started his career as a territory sales manager. His steady climb within the company saw him evolve through district and regional sales manager positions to his most recent role as senior business development manager. 

“Our goal is to continue to develop the most effective training programs in the aftermarket for our distribution partners and service provider,” said Kinnunen. “I’m excited to step into this new role to support the KYB sales team in their efforts to educate and train our customers in the importance of replacing worn shocks and struts and why KYB is the correct choice for the job.”

Kinnunen’s new role will include developing the training materials used in the KYB 4Trainer mobile training vehicle, oversight of the KYB Video Training Series for Parts Pros and Service Technicians, as well as creating content and presentations used by the KYB Field Sales team.

“Erick Kinnunen has served the aftermarket in sales and management positions for over 38 years,” stated KYB Director of Sales Paul Kratzer. “He’s an industry veteran and has a passion for teaching. Erick will train and support KYB’s sales team and help our customers address the challenges of selling ride control products.”