GKN Automotive, a leading supplier for drive systems has announced three appointments to its Executive team following the demerger of GKN Automotive from Melrose into Dowlais Group.
Nic Zerbst joins GKN Automotive as COO, a new role created when the company established two new functional arms – Operations and Engineering. He steps in for Markus Bannert who was interim COO. Zerbst has over 28 years of experience in international, automotive and operational leadership roles, most recently at ZF Group where he was Senior VP of Operations in the Electronics and Advance Driver Assist System Division. Prior to that he was COO at MANN+HUMMEL Group. He holds an MBA from Nelson Mandela University and a Diploma in Mechanical Engineering.
Adam Ramsay joins as General Counsel, replacing John Nicholson who has moved to GKN Automotive’s parent company, Dowlais Group, as General Counsel. He has more than 25 years of in-house experience, most recently at Smiths Group, a FTSE 100 UK-headquartered industrial technology company, where he was Deputy General Counsel of a large global legal team. He brings a track record in functional and business leadership in public and private equity backed businesses and extensive international experience in APAC and China where he was involved in multiple joint venture and other projects.
Andrea Arobio joins the company as Chief Strategy Officer, replacing James Pedder who has moved into the role of Chief Strategy Officer at Dowlais Group. He started his career at Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, now Stellantis, in Product Development and held different roles in strategic planning, programme management and procurement. Arobio has also worked in management consulting at Boston Consulting Group for more than four years in the Automotive and Industrial Goods practice, developing an expertise in global corporate strategy, strategic planning and large transformation projects.
Markus Bannert, CEO of GKN Automotive, said: “I’m delighted to welcome Nic, Adam and Andrea to our Executive team, each bringing an impressive track record in helping businesses across a variety of sectors and markets grow and succeed. I look forward to working closely with our Executive team during such an exciting time for our business, as we focus on using our world-leading technology to drive electrification and making GKN Automotive a great place to work.”
