David Giroux will become president and chief operating officer of the Heavy Duty Manufacturers Association (HDMA), and the current president and chief operating officer, Tim Kraus, will retire after 16 years at the trade association, MEMA President and Chief Executive Officer Bill Long announced.

Giroux, who will join HDMA on Jan. 4, brings more than 25 years of experience working with global OEM industry leaders, tier-one suppliers, and companies in the heavy-duty aftermarket. Giroux’s previous assignments included positions throughout North America, Asia-Pacific and Europe, working for companies such as Ford Motor Co.; Meritor Inc.; Peterbilt Motors Co.; Navistar Inc.; and Daimler Trucks North America.

“The work of the Heavy Duty Manufacturers Association is critically important to the overall commercial vehicle industry, now more than ever,” Long said. “Our industry and our members are experiencing and driving transformational advances in vehicle technology, while at the same time adapting to shifts in the global marketplace. The choice of David Giroux is aligned with the association’s mission to champion and advance the business interests of vehicle parts manufacturers and the commercial vehicle industry. David will be taking the reins from Tim Kraus, and the HDMA leadership team knows he will keep the organization and the industry moving forward.”

In his most recent role, Giroux served as head of special projects, reporting directly to Daimler Trucks North America President and Chief Executive Officer Roger Nielsen.

“Giroux’s ascent to president and COO at HDMA will benefit the entirety of the industry,” Nielsen said. “It is critically important for the industry to harmonize and communicate on a variety of future topics, from supplier optimization to aftermarket growth, and among original equipment manufacturers themselves. Giroux is undoubtedly a superlative selection. We applaud MEMA and HDMA for this choice and look forward to enhancing our participation with HDMA.”