Daimler Truck Names New President/CEO

Feb. 17, 2021

John O’Leary will take over as president/CEO of Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) on April 1. He will oversee brands such as Freightliner, Western Star, and Detroit Diesel.

He replaces Roger Nielsen, who will retire at the end of April.

O’Leary started at DTNA for Freightliner in 2000, after previously having worked 11 years at Paccar. He led the U.S. school bus business of Thomas Built Buses. From 2010, he was SVP for the aftermarket business before becoming the CFO of DTNA in 2012. Since September 2020, O’Leary has been the Chief Transformation Officer for Mercedes-Benz Trucks in Germany.

“John O’Leary has more than 20 years of experience at DTNA and knows the North-American Commercial Vehicle Business like no other,” said Martin Daum, president/CEO of Daimler Truck AG, in a prepared statement. “As CFO of DTNA and lately as Chief Transformation Officer of Mercedes-Benz Trucks he has proven that his experience and knowledge make him just the right person to successfully lead DTNA into the future.”

Source: Daimler Trucks