Operations

Bendix appoints Berend Bracht as new president, CEO

May 8, 2015

Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems has appointed Berend Bracht president and CEO and as a member of its executive board. He joins Bendix on July 1. At that time, chairman, president and CEO Joe McAleese will step fully into his role as Bendix chairman, a role he has held since 2014, the company said.Bracht comes to Bendix after a 24-year career at Bosch Rexroth. He serves as president and chief executive officer of Bosch Rexroth Americas. In that post since 2007, he led the company to $1.4 billion in annual sales, oversaw the acquisition of a hydraulic distribution company in Chile, and drove a substantial and sustained increase in sales volume within the Americas sector of the global Bosch Rexroth organization, Bendix said.Progressing through the leadership ranks at Bosch Rexroth and its predecessor organization Mannesmann Rexroth, Bracht served in a variety of management roles, including a three-year assignment as president and chief executive officer of Bosch Rexroth China in Shanghai. He began his career at Mannesmann Rexroth as a technical sales engineer in Munich, Germany. “Berend possesses a wealth of leadership experience on the global stage and the keen ability to grow businesses both organically and via acquisition,” McAleese said. “These skills are vital for a senior executive in today’s dynamic commercial vehicle marketplace. We are very excited that he is joining Bendix. He’s an established leader with strong strategic vision, outstanding cross-functional experience from the technical, sales, and financial roles he’s held, and the ability to further advance and expand our business in new and compelling ways.”“I’m truly honored to become a member of the Bendix team as the new president and CEO,” Bracht said in a statement. “Bendix is a trusted brand and a top-tier supplier in the commercial vehicle market. Alongside the outstanding management team and talented employees in place at Bendix, I will focus on continuing to build on the organization’s strong foundation, momentum, customer focus and innovative mindset.”Upon Bracht’s arrival, Bendix said it will transition from a two-person executive board – the company’s current corporate governance structure – to a three-person board. Bracht will join McAleese and the other current member, chief operating officer Carlos Hungria.