After successfully handling the post-merger management of Navistar International Corp. for Traton SE since April 2021, industry veteran Mathias Carlbaum has been named the Navistar CEO and president, effective September 1. Until the end of March 2021, Carlbaum was executive vice president commercial operations at Scania CV AB.
Carlbaum is succeeding Persio Lisboa, who is retiring after a 35-year long tenure with the company including the roles of COO and CEO. Lisboa was instrumental in returning Navistar to profitability as well as launching and executing a solid strategy called Navistar 4.0.
"Mathias Carlbaum is an internationally experienced Manager with the right skills and mindset to lead Navistar into this new era as part of TRATON GROUP,” said Traton SE's CEO and member of Navistar's Board of Directors Matthias Gründler, in a statement. “I am welcoming Mathias in his new responsibility. A great thanks goes to Persio Lisboa for his great support before, during and after the merger."
The Traton and Navistar merger came on the heals of a four-year long strategic alliance that generated significant added value for both companies due to higher purchasing power and the integration of new technologies. At the start of 2020, Traton submitted an initial offer to acquire all of the ordinary shares in Navistar. A binding merger agreement was signed in November 2020. The merger was closed on July 1, 2021.
In addition to announcing Carlbaum’s appointment, Navistar's board of directors appointed an executive board, also effective September 1, 2021, including new CEO Carlbaum; Walter G. Borst, who will continue to be CFO until he transitions his role to Do Young Kim on January 1, 2022; Michael Grahe, formerly CTO of the Traton Group; Phil Christman, current president of operations, who will remain at Navistar until March 2022 to oversee Mexico and Brazil, as well as transition related tasks and continue reporting to the CEO; Donna G. Dorsey, who will retain responsibility for People & Culture; Friedrich W. Baumann, who remains responsible for sales, marketing and aftersales; and Mark Hernandez who remains responsible for manufacturing.
