Global automotive supplier Marelli announced the appointment of David Fan as executive vice president, and president, China, effective Jan. 1, 2022. The appointment will be key to strengthening Marelli’s position in the growing Chinese market, and accelerating the company growth at global level, says Marelli.

In his new role, Fan will be responsible for leading the business of Marelli in China, supporting growth for domestic Chinese OEMs and global OEMs in China, as well as supporting carmakers globally with innovative technology solutions.

“Marelli is a brand with an incredible heritage and track record for quality and innovation. Although there have been a number of significant steps into the Chinese market, I believe there is still a huge opportunity for Marelli to further grow in China and I am truly honored to be joining the company at a time of such great potential,” said Fan. “I very much look forward to joining the team.”

Fan built a 25-year career in the auto industry working in global companies with a strong China and international presence. His leadership credentials are supported by his strong technical background in Engineering, in which he holds a PhD from the University of Pittsburgh in the U.S.. He joins Marelli from Nexteer, the American, majority Chinese-owned automotive parts supplier, where he was global Vice President, and president, Asia Pacific.

Prior to that, Fan spent five years with Delphi, based in Shanghai, where he was the Vice President, and president, China, responsible for China business development including sales and marketing to OEMs in China across all Delphi Technology BUs, and managing director. In the 17 years before that, he built his career at Tenneco, manufacturer and marketer of automotive products for original equipment and aftermarket. Fan also holds a BS degree in Mechanical Engineering from University of Science and Technology of China and MBA degree from University of Michigan.

Marelli has a long-standing presence in China, with an industrial and R&D footprint and a number of joint ventures with local partners, developing and manufacturing technologies for several automotive product areas. The Chinese business will play a pivotal role in fostering the success of the whole company, Marelli says.