DTNA Appoints David Carson President of Western Star
Daimler Trucks North America announced David Carson, currently president of Freightliner Custom Chassis Corp., has been appointed president of Western Star Trucks and chief diversity officer of DTNA.
Carson succeeds Kelley Platt, who has been promoted within the Daimler AG global organization to president and CEO of Daimler’s truck joint venture Beijing Foton Daimler Automotive Co. in China.
Platt
“While we will miss Kelley’s leadership and her significant contributions as a member of the Daimler Trucks North America Operating Committee, we are confident that David’s dedication and proven track record as a leader position him well as the new leader of Western Star as we look to the future for the vocational truck brand,” said Roger Nielsen, CEO of DTNA.
Carson, who will become a member of DTNA’s operating committee, was appointed president of FCCC in 2015 and oversaw engineering, operations and sales and marketing for DTNA’s chassis business.
Western Star, DTNA’s niche brand, in the first 10 months of the year sold 4,098 Class 8 trucks compared with 4,025 in the 2016 period, according to WardsAuto.com. Its market share through October stood at 2.7%, up from 2.5% a year earlier.
Through its Western Star and Freightliner brands, DTNA is the leading Class 8 truck maker in North America. Daimler is the world’s leading commercial vehicle manufacturer.
