Kary Schaefer, General Manager Marketing, Strategy, DTNA Kary Schaefer is the new general manager of marketing and strategy for Daimler Trucks North America, the manufacturer said Jan. 19.
Schaefer joined the Portland, Oregon-based company in 1995. Her most recent position was GM of the enhanced platform program for vocational products, which she will keep in addition to her new responsibilities. “Kary’s keen understanding of our industry, business and products will be instrumental to delivering our message our dealers and customers,” Richard Howard, DTNA senior vice president for sales and marketing, said in the announcement.
Schaefer succeeds Diane Hames, who held the position since November 2009. DTNA spokesman David Giroux said she resigned voluntarily Nov. 2. A division of Stuttgart, Germany-based Daimler AG, DTNA is the parent of Freightliner and Western Star Trucks and the maker of Detroit-brand axles, engines and automated manual transmissions.
The company had the industry-leading market share in 2015 for U.S. Class 8 retail sales, selling 100,214 vehicles out of a total of 248,804, or 40.3%. An engineer by training, Schaefer will work out of the Portland headquarters. Trucks she has worked on include the Freightliner Argosy Evolution, Freightliner severe-duty models and the Western Star 4700. Prior to joining DTNA, Schaefer worked for Boeing Co., Pacific Testing Laboratories, Abossein Engineering and United Technologies Corp.
