Appointments & HR News

SHERIDAN, WYOMING - December 26, 2025 - The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd. is reshaping its senior leadership structure from January 1, 2026, sharpening its focus on tire production efficiency, advanced materials development, and growth in China and Asia across both tire and industrial product lines. The new appointments consolidate operational responsibility around key associates, signaling a push toward tighter coordination between manufacturing, R&D and regional business development.

Strengthening leadership around tire production and investment planning

SHERIDAN, WYOMING - December 19, 2025 - Voyager Therapeutics is laying off 30 employees after partner Novartis discontinued two undisclosed discovery-stage programs under the companies' gene therapy collaboration, underscoring how quickly platform-driven R&D bets can be reprioritized even inside marquee pharma partnerships.

Commercial partnerships can shift overnight
Voyager disclosed last month that Novartis had stepped away from two early programs tied to their ongoing relationship, without naming the assets or detailing the rationale. The biotech framed the change as manageable, stating that Novartis' decision will "not impact Voyager's cash runway guidance." Still, the workforce reduction signals that operational resets often follow partnership scope changes-especially when programs are preclinical and the near-term value is concentrated in a smaller set of advancing assets.

SHERIDAN, WYOMING - December 18, 2025 - Citroën has appointed Aline Germain as the brand's new marketing lead, effective January 1, 2026, as the automaker continues to sharpen its global positioning across electric, hybrid, and mainstream mobility segments within the Stellantis portfolio.

Leadership change signals renewed focus on brand equity and go-to-market execution
Citroën said Germain will become responsible for Marketing Citroën from 1 january 2026, replacing Federico Goyret, who has been appointed to a position to be announced later. The company said Germain will report to Citroën Brand CEO Xavier Chardon, placing the role at the center of strategy-to-market coordination as Citroën competes for attention in a crowded European and global volume market.

SHERIDAN, WYOMING - December 10, 2025 - Monks, S4 Capital's unified, digital-first global brand, is sharpening its AI media strategy in Europe, the Middle East and Africa with the appointment of Thiago Correa as Senior Vice President of Media for EMEA. From his base in London, Correa will help brands redesign their media architectures around algorithmic performance systems that tightly integrate media, data, creative and measurement.

AI as the new engine of media economics

Monks positions Correa's hire squarely in the context of an industry where the leading AI innovators-Google, Meta and Amazon-are also the world's dominant media platforms. As performance increasingly depends on AI-driven bidding and optimisation, the agency sees manual, line-item trading as both a margin sink and a growth constraint for advertisers.

SHERIDAN, WYOMING - December 10, 2025 - Koelnmesse Inc. is initiating a carefully planned leadership transition in North America, with long-time President and Managing Director Mette Petersen set to retire on June 30, 2026, and 22-year company veteran Darrin Stern taking over the top role on January 1, 2026. The structured handover is designed to safeguard continuity while positioning the U.S. subsidiary for its next decade of portfolio growth and international expansion.

Structured transition protects continuity and relationships

From 1 January 2026, Stern will assume the role of President and Managing Director, while Petersen will continue through the first half of the year in an advisory capacity. During this period she will mentor key team members and support strategic initiatives with Koelnmesse's headquarters in Cologne, Germany.

SHERIDAN, WYOMING - December 8, 2025 - Teleste is sharpening its execution muscle in the fast-growing public safety and mobility market by appointing project delivery specialist Jaakko Keski-Nisula as Head of Project Management for its Public Safety and Mobility business unit, a new leadership role designed to boost delivery performance on complex, safety-critical infrastructure projects.

New leadership role targets large, complex public transport projects

Based in Turku, Finland, Keski-Nisula will join the business unit's Leadership Team and report to Senior Vice President Public Safety and Mobility, Valerian Sand. His remit: strengthen Teleste's project management capabilities across international deployments in public transport and security, where customers increasingly expect turnkey, integrated solutions with predictable timelines and service levels.

SHERIDAN, WYOMING - December 5, 2025 - Stellantis is preparing a leadership handover at the top of its global motorsport operations, appointing seasoned engineer and team principal Olivier Jansonnie as Head of Stellantis Motorsport from January 31, 2026, as long-time motorsport chief Jean-Marc Finot retires after nearly four decades shaping performance programs across multiple brands.

Leadership transition at Stellantis Motorsport from 2026

From early 2026, Olivier Jansonnie will assume responsibility for Stellantis Motorsport, reporting to Emanuele Cappellano, Head of Enlarged Europe, European Brands and Stellantis Pro One. The transition will be managed jointly with outgoing leader Jean-Marc Finot to ensure continuity across factory programs, customer racing and high-performance road car initiatives.

SHERIDAN, WYOMING - December 4, 2025 - Cresta Fund Management is expanding its senior leadership team to support the next phase of growth, appointing industry veteran David Altshuler as Partner and Head of Capital Formation and promoting two long-standing team members into expanded roles. The Dallas-based private equity firm, which focuses on energy infrastructure across industrial, logistics and agricultural sectors, is sharpening its institutional capital-raising capabilities as limited partners seek specialist managers with operational depth and clear energy-transition strategies.

Bringing a Capital Formation Heavyweight Into the Partnership

SHERIDAN, WYOMING - December 2, 2025 - Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (HEIDELBERG) is restructuring its largest site in Wiesloch-Walldorf, appointing long-time manager Orhan Bekyigit as plant director alongside his existing role as site head, in a move designed to sharpen competitiveness, streamline operations and support growth in international markets.

Strategic realignment at Heidelberg's largest production hub

The Wiesloch-Walldorf campus, with around 3,800 employees, is HEIDELBERG's biggest location worldwide and a central pillar of its global manufacturing and technology network. The new setup brings plant management and central site functions under one leadership, with Bekyigit now responsible for both operational execution and cross-site coordination.

SHERIDAN, WYOMING - November 28, 2025 - Hyundai Auto Canada has appointed long-time executive Ken Maisonville as chief operating officer (COO), reinforcing its focus on operational excellence and customer experience as the brand navigates intense competition, electrification and shifting consumer expectations in the Canadian automotive market.

New COO Role Unifies Sales, Marketing and Aftersales

In his newly created role, Maisonville will oversee Sales, Marketing and Aftersales, bringing these core commercial functions under a single leadership umbrella. The move is designed to accelerate decision-making and align strategies across the full customer journey, from brand awareness and lead generation to purchase, ownership and long-term retention.