Sinnaeve and Piotrowski to Lead AIAG Board of Directors

SOUTHFIELD, Mich., March 07, 2017 -- The Automotive Industry Action Group (AIAG) announces the appointment of Michael G. Sinnaeve to chair and Kevin Piotrowski to vice chair of the AIAG board of directors. More than 20 executives from the automotive and transportation OEM and supplier community currently serve on the AIAG board, representing a cross-section of its member companies.

AIAG’s board of directors is responsible for maintaining the organization’s commitment to a seamless, efficient, and responsible supply chain by providing strategic direction and overseeing the organization’s collaborative effort to build and enhance the industry’s competitiveness.

Michael G. Sinnaeve is global vice president operational improvement and quality for Magna International, a position he has held since September 2013. With over 40 years of automotive business experience, Sinnaeve is responsible for Magna’s world class manufacturing implementation, capital approvals, real estate and construction approvals, sustainability, and energy and oversees all global quality systems and processes.

Since joining Magna in 1992, Sinnaeve has held various corporate and group vice president positions overseeing quality, operations, and technical training. He began his career working with Livingston Industries and AMC/Chrysler for 17 years. During that period, he held various management positions in the operations, material management, supplier development, engineering, and quality. He joined the AIAG board of directors in September 2009.

“I am both eager and honored to serve as the new AIAG board chair,” says Sinnaeve. “Further aligning the board, company executives, and members to drive efficiency into the industry — while at the same time taking costs out of the process — is a high priority for me. Better alignment will help us create stronger global partnerships, establish common standards, and identify new initiatives for the future.”

Kevin Piotrowski is vice president of solution consulting for Infor’s North American, Latin American, and Asia-Pacific regions. In this role, Piotrowski focuses on maximizing growth in Infor's key manufacturing verticals, including automotive, advanced manufacturing, aerospace and defense, equipment/rental, distribution, food and beverage, and fashion. He is responsible for demonstrating industry-specific Infor CloudSuite solutions and synchronizing efforts with sales, implementation consultants, and product management teams.

Among his 33 years in manufacturing, 12 of those years have been with Infor. Piotrowski got his start in automotive in 1984 with General Motors Corporation and has also worked at Delphi Automotive Systems and Supply Solutions, Inc. He joined the AIAG board of directors in November 2008.

“Making AIAG relevant and pervasive across the entire automotive landscape – proactively driving the industry forward and not just reacting to current issues — is a priority,” says Piotrowski. “I want to see all the automotive suppliers participate and realize value from AIAG — not just the larger tiers.”

Both men commented on why they volunteer their time with AIAG. “I have held several different positions within the auto industry over my 43 years of experience, and I believe AIAG provides a great opportunity to positively impact the global industry as a whole,” says Sinnaeve. “This industry has given so much to me both personally and professionally, and I am excited to help give something back.”  

“I truly enjoy being part of a diverse team of experts across many companies and competitors, banding together to proactively shape the industry and enhance its competitiveness,” adds Piotrowski.

Joining Sinnaeve and Piotrowski in service to the AIAG board of directors are: John Batchik, Freudenberg-NOK Sealing Technologies; Blake Blumenshine, Caterpillar Inc.; Elly Bradford, Honda North America, Inc.; Mina Cox, Specialty Products Company; Court Harvath, Ryder System, Inc.; Terry Helgesen, DENSO International America, Inc.; Jim Holloway, Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.; Sigmund Huber, FCA US LLC; David Kazyak, Lear Corporation; Robert Kinchen, Nissan North America; David Kneisler, Dana Holding Corporation; Thomas Koenig, TRW, Inc.; David Leich, General Motors Company; Vince Mastrangelo, Continental North America; Karen B. Newman, IBM Corporation; Debra Poppas, PACCAR; Cesar Pucci, Eaton Corporation; Jeff Richards, Delphi Automotive PLC; Jim VanSlambrouck, Ford Motor Company; Matthias Vogel, Kongsberg Automotive; Jeffrey Wagner, Federal-Mogul Corporation; and Doug Young, Robert Bosch LLC.

About AIAG
Created by the auto industry for the auto industry, AIAG is a not-for-profit organization with more than 34 years of experience working with OEMs, suppliers, service providers, government, and academia to collaboratively drive down costs and streamline the complexity of the supply chain by developing global standards and harmonizing business practices. There are more than 1,900 AIAG member companies, including Arctic Cat, Caterpillar, FCA — North America, Ford Motor Company, General Motors, Harley-Davidson, Honda of America Manufacturing, Nissan North America, Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Volkswagen Group of America, and many of their part suppliers and service providers. Learn more at www.aiag.org.

Contact: Greg Creason, AIAG
Ph. 248.358.9775