Meritor has named Chris Villavarayan executive vice president and chief operating officer, effective immediately. He's been senior vice president and president of Meritor's Global Truck segment since January 2018.

In his new position, Villavarayan will have global operating responsibility for both of Meritor's business segments, global truck and aftermarket, and industrial and trailer. He will continue to report directly to Jay Craig, Meritor's CEO and president.

"Chris has a diverse background with the company over a 20-year career, during which time he has demonstrated a proven track record of leading the business to meet and exceed established objectives in all areas," Craig said. "Chris has the right qualities and skills to step into the COO role as we embark on our M2022 plan, from relevant experience across our business, to his understanding of the industry landscape and a proven track record of high performance."

In the past, Villavarayan served as president of Truck Americas, responsible for Meritor's commercial truck, defense and specialty businesses in North and South America. He also had responsibility for Meritor's global components engineering, product validation and materials engineering, as well as engineering and program management. He was previously vice president of global manufacturing and supply chain management for Meritor, as well as managing director for Meritor's operations in India, leading Meritor Heavy Vehicle Systems (India) Ltd.

Villavarayan holds a Bachelor of Science in engineering from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.