New Volkswagen exec joins Navistar board

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Updated Aug 16, 2018

Volkswagen Truck & Bus CFO Christian Schulz has joined Navistar’s board of directors, replacing Matthias Gründler who resigned the post after serving more than a year.

Schulz has been appointed to the board’s finance committee.

Navistar President, CEO and Chairman Troy A. Clarke praised Schulz’s automotive and truck experience, saying it “will be of great value to our board and to Navistar management.”

Clarke also extended a thank you to Gründler, who Clarke says “played a key role in establishing Navistar’s global alliance with Volkswagen Truck & Bus and in overseeing the alliance’s strong progress. His knowledge, dedication and expertise have been invaluable to Navistar.”

Prior to joining the Volkswagen Truck & Bus team in January 2017, Schulz worked as Director of Controlling Operations worldwide at Mercedes-Benz Cars from 2011 through 2016. From 2008 to 2011, Schulz worked as the Controlling Director for Purchasing, Production, and Development at Mitsubishi Fuso Truck & Bus in Tokyo. Schulz began his career at Daimler AG in 1999 and held various positions in the Finance, Controlling and Risk Management departments.

Volkswagen currently owns more than a 16 percent stake in Navistar. As part of the alliance agreement, VW Truck & Bus CEO Andreas Renschler and Gründler joined Navistar’s board of directors. Gründler resigned from his position with Volkswagen in May. He raised eyebrows in April saying a full takeover of the Lisle, Ill. truck maker “would make sense at some point.” Volkswagen promptly walked back the statement, saying the company was “not reporting any changes to its plans or proposals.”

Jason Cannon has written about trucking and transportation for more than a decade and serves as Chief Editor of Commercial Carrier Journal. A Class A CDL holder, Jason is a graduate of the Porsche Sport Driving School, an honorary Duckmaster at The Peabody in Memphis, Tennessee, and a purple belt in Brazilian jiu jitsu. Reach him at [email protected]