Leadership

Nexteer Automotive is driven by a global leadership team dedicated to building on the company’s strong heritage of engineering and manufacturing performance. Nexteer Automotive provides advanced steering and driveline solutions and is led by President and Chief Operating Officer, Laurent Bresson and his committed management team.

Laurent Bresson

President and Chief Operating Officer

Laurent Bresson was named president of Nexteer Automotive in June 2012 and now leads the Nexteer Strategy Council. He is dedicated to continuing the company’s global success and is charged with leading a talented executive staff, supported by experienced management teams and a committed workforce.

Prior to his current position, Bresson was senior vice president and chief operating officer, responsible for managing day-to-day global activities of the company’s divisional and product groups, including global sales. In addition, Bresson has held the position of vice president, global sales and marketing, European region, and was responsible for all activities in Australia, India, Korea, Mexico, Brazil and Europe. He was first given global responsibility in 2009 and has previously held various positions in engineering, project management and sales for several Delphi divisions as well as various sales positions at Nexteer. Prior to joining Delphi, Bresson worked in Germany for Continental-Siemens in Engine Management.

Bresson has played a leading role in aggressively expanding Nexteer’s customer base to more than 50 automotive manufacturers around the world. He has lived in the UK, France, Germany and the U.S. and has extensive international operational experience overseeing the launch of numerous high volume, global customer programs.

Bresson holds a masters of science in instrumentation from the University Institute of Manchester (UK), a masters of science in instrumentation from the Higher Engineering School in Caen (Ensicaen, France) and a master in business administration from the University of Caen.

Mike Gannon

Chief Operation Officer Saginaw Division, Senior Vice President, Chief Human Resources Officer

Mike Gannon is chief operating officer of the Saginaw Division, senior vice president, chief human resources officer for Nexteer Automotive and a member of the Nexteer Strategy Council. Under his current position, Gannon is responsible for all operations, including labor and manufacturing at Nexteer’s world headquarters in Saginaw Mich. In addition, Gannon is responsible for the proper staffing, training, policies and procedures for all global operations. In addition, he oversees Nexteer’s public affairs, including internal and external communications as well as government and community relations. Gannon began his career at General Motors in 1973 as a co-op with Oldsmobile and was vice president of personnel for General Motors Europe before joining Delphi.

Joe Perkins

Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

Joe Perkins is senior vice president and chief financial officer for Nexteer Automotive and a member of the Nexteer Strategy Council. Under his current position, Perkins is responsible for managing business performance across Nexteer’s global enterprise with a focus on driving profitable growth in all product lines and regions. Additionally, he maintains a strong focus over key compliance and liquidity management activities. He began his career with General Motors in 1991 as a financial analyst with Cadillac and held multiple positions of increasing responsibility with both General Motors and Delphi.

Mike Richardson

Senior Vice President, Chief Technology Officer, China Chairman and Driveline Chairman

Mike Richardson is senior vice president, chief technology officer, China chairman and driveline chairman for Nexteer Automotive and a member of the Nexteer Strategy Council. Under his current position, Richardson is focused on scientific and technological issues at Nexteer as well as strategic planning. In addition, he is the company’s China chairman and is responsible for mergers and acquisitions as well as investments. He began his automotive career with General Motors in 1974 as a co-op at the former Saginaw Steering Gear Division.

Sergio Rodriguez

Senior Vice President Organizational Effectiveness

Sergio Rodriguez is senior vice president of organizational effectiveness and a member of the Nexteer Strategy Council. Under his current position, Rodriguez is responsible for making sure Nexteer is on track to meet its performance metrics for all global operations and business units. He began his automotive career in 1991 as a quality engineering student at the GM Ramos Arizpe-Mexico Assembly Plant.

Ileana Simplicean

Senior Vice President and General Counsel

Ileana Simplicean is senior vice president and general counsel for Nexteer Automotive and a member of the Nexteer Strategy Council. Under her current position, Simplicean is responsible for all of Nexteer’s legal affairs worldwide. She is a multilingual corporate attorney with over 17 years of experience in the U.S. and the Europe, Middle East and Africa region (EMEA). Simplicean joined Nexteer from Delphi Corp. where she was most recently senior corporate counsel for Delphi EMEA. She is admitted to the New York Bar and Paris Bar.