STUTTGART, Germany/PORTLAND, Ore. — Roger Nielsen has been named Daimler Trucks North America’s (DTNA’s) new president and CEO.

Effective April 1, Nielsen will oversee DTNA and its affiliated companies: Freightliner Trucks, Western Star Trucks, Thomas Built Buses, Freightliner Custom Chassis Corp., and Detroit Diesel Corp.

Nielsen succeeds Martin Daum, who became a member of the board of management of Daimler AG, responsible for Daimler Trucks and Buses, on March 1.

“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,” Daum said. “He has an excellent track record as an influential leader in the industry.”

“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,” he added.

“I am honored and proud to head up this great organization that I have been part of for over 30 years,” Nielsen said. “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.”

Since 2001, Nielsen has been chief operating officer, responsible for the entire DTNA manufacturing network, as well as all levels of operations in quality, supplier management, logistics, and customer application engineering. In addition, he has overseen Thomas Built Buses, Freightliner Custom Chassis Corp., and DTNA’s continuous improvement programs.

In 1986, Nielsen joined DTNA (then Freightliner Corp.) as an industrial engineer, and since then has held various positions at DTNA in the U.S. as well as at Daimler’s commercial vehicles divisions in Germany.