Allison Transmission has announced the promotion of Otto Szalavari to managing director of global marketing, a position the company said is instrumental in driving its growth strategy.

Szalavari’s primary areas of responsibility will include market insights and voice of customer, global marketing brand management and communications, developing differentiated value propositions, developing and deploying key sales tools, and assessing markets and segments for new product development.

He joined Allison in Feb. 2017 as director of global marketing information and product strategy, with a focus on international and domestic business activities and commercial sales agreements. In that role, he has led global market intelligence activities, including the understanding of market size, market trends, and competitive positioning.

“During his short period of time with Allison, Otto has more than proven his ability to tackle challenges and generate results,” said John Coll, senior vice president for global marketing, sales and service. “I look forward to watching him lead our marketing team and further expand the Allison brand across the world.”

Szalavari holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Moscow Polytechnic University and a master’s degree in business economy and international marketing from Budapest Business School – University of Applied Sciences in Hungary.