Roger Nielsen has been named president and chief executive officer of Daimler Trucks North America and its affiliated companies, Freightliner, Western Star, Thomas Built Buses, and Freightliner Customer Chassis Corporation.

The appointment is effective as of April 1 and he will succeed Martin Daum who recently became a member of the board of management of Daimler AG, responsible for Daimler Trucks and Buses.

“Roger Nielsen brings a rock solid product, manufacturing and sales background to this position paired with a razor-sharp focus on technology, quality and customer service. He has an excellent track record as an influential leader in the industry,” said Daum. “Having worked closely with Roger for so many years, I am certain that DTNA, its people and all its brands are in the best hands.”

Nielsen has been the chief operating officer since 2001, responsible for the DTNA manufacturing network and all levels of operations in quality, supplier management, logistics, and custom application engineering. He has overseen Thomas Built Buses, Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation, and DTNA’s continuous improvement programs.

Nielsen joined DTNA as an industrial engineer in 1986 and held various positions at DTNA in the US as well as at Daimler’s Commercial Vehicles Divisions in Germany.

“I am honored and proud to head up this great organization that I have been part of for over 30 years,” said Nielsen. “I look forward to building on the outstanding success achieved by the DTNA team under Martin’s leadership. Together, we will continue our dedication to delivering the best products and services to our North American customers.”