Valeo has announced the appointment of James Schwyn as chief technical officer (CTO) – North America, effective immediately. The CTO position is new in North America, created to support and further promote the company’s growth of innovation and engineering throughout the region.
Schwyn’s responsibilities will include strengthening the company’s interface with the high-level engineering leadership of customers in North America, including new emerging OEMs. He also will be responsible for identifying opportunities within new business models and target markets including mobility solutions, autonomous driving, connectivity and electrification.
Another key component of Schwyn’s role will be assisting in the recruitment and ongoing development of engineering talent in the region. Valeo currently has about 1,000 engineers working for its development programs in North America and plans to increase this number by 50 percent in the next five years. This engineering growth will be located at its innovation centers in the San Francisco Bay area, the metropolitan Detroit area and in Mexico.
Schwyn has 20 years of experience with Valeo, including leadership roles in quality, manufacturing and R&D. Prior to his appointment as CTO – North America, he was thermal North America regional operations director. He reports to Jean-Francois Tarabbia, Valeo senior vice president, Group R&D and Product Marketing.
