Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC has appointed Jeff Cecil vice president of human resources – Americas. Cecil, who first joined Bendix in 2005, also became the newest member of the Bendix Leadership Committee. He fills the position held previously by Christopher Miller, who has announced he’s retiring at the close of 2019.
Cecil brings more than 20 years of human resources experience – including 14 years with the Knorr-Bremse Group (KB), Bendix’s Munich, Germany-based parent company – to Bendix, the North American leader in the development and manufacture of leading-edge active safety, air management, and braking system technologies for commercial vehicles. In his new position, he leads the Bendix HR team as the company continues its robust business growth in the commercial vehicle industry.
In addition to his role at Bendix, Cecil coordinates human resources activities for the North America member companies of the Knorr-Bremse Group. The companies include Bendix, New York Air Brake LLC (NYAB), and Maryland-based Knorr Brake Company, as well as executive oversight of HR operations of the Knorr-Bremse companies within South America. Bendix has been a member of the Knorr-Bremse Group since 2002. Knorr-Bremse is the world’s preeminent manufacturer of braking systems for rail and commercial vehicles.
“In the span of 14 years serving the Knorr-Bremse Group – more than half of that time at Bendix – Jeff has distinguished himself in an impressive range of HR leadership roles, both domestically and globally. He is a valuable addition to our executive team,” said Michael J. Hawthorne, Bendix president and CEO. “His work, together with the rest of the skilled HR team, will deliver critical expertise and support to Bendix – and our sister companies in the Americas Region of Knorr-Bremse – as we continue advancing to higher levels of performance.”
After a management consulting career at Ernst & Young, Cecil joined Bendix as the Elyria-based manager, HR information systems. Seven years later, in 2012, he accepted a multiyear international assignment with KB’s Munich-based corporate HR team as manager, HR strategy/IT process, overseeing numerous global initiatives. He returned to the United States in 2014, taking a role within the global organization’s rail division as HR manager – operations at NYAB. He was named NYAB’s HR director in 2016 and senior director – HR in 2018. Cecil returned to Bendix in July 2018 as deputy vice president of HR, which included serving as HR business partner to Bendix’s Wheel-End business and Central Engineering department.
Cecil holds a bachelor’s degree in international business and marketing from the Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, and an MBA from Baldwin Wallace University in Berea, Ohio. He is a Certified Lean Six Sigma Green BeltTM and an Agile Certified Product Owner.
