Kenneth R. Trammell

Kenneth R. Trammell

Ken Trammell is executive vice president and chief financial officer for Tenneco. He has responsibility for financial planning and analysis, accounting and reporting, tax, treasury and investor relations for the company. He is a member of the senior management team.

Trammell joined Tenneco Inc. in 1996 as assistant controller and was promoted to the position of corporate controller the following year. Most recently, Trammell served as vice president and controller, assuming this position following the spin-off of the packaging business from Tenneco, Inc. in 1999. He was named Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer in September 2003 and Executive Vice President in January 2006.

Prior to joining Tenneco, Trammell spent 12 years with Arthur Andersen LLP with responsibility for audits and consultation on mergers, acquisitions and divestitures for Andersen clients.

Trammell holds a bachelor's degree in accounting from the University of Houston and earned his CPA certificate in Texas.

Neal Yanos

Neal Yanos

In this newly created position, which was established in February 2013, Yanos will report to Tenneco COO Hari Nair. 

Prior to the company realigning into its Clean Air and Ride Performance divisions, Yanos spent nearly five years as executive vice president, North America, overseeing the company’s original equipment emission control, original equipment ride control and aftermarket operations in North America.

Before taking over the North America operations, Yanos served as senior vice-president and general manager for Tenneco's North American OE ride control and aftermarket businesses. Yanos' responsibilities included manufacturing, engineering, sales/marketing, finance, strategic planning and business development. This combination of responsibilities enabled Tenneco to leverage the entire product life cycle from the start of the OE development process through the installation of replacement products on vehicles. Maintaining the alignment of the aftermarket ride control and exhaust teams allowed Tenneco to maximize the benefits of shared sales, marketing, engineering and business processes across product lines.

Yanos originally joined Tenneco in 1988 as a process engineer for Monroe's ride control division before advancing to positions of increasing responsibility including director of the North American original equipment General Motors/VW business group and vice president and general manager for Tenneco's North American original equipment ride control. He also played an instrumental role in pioneering key acquisitions for joint-venture ride control operations in South America and Asia as well as the 1996 acquisition of the Clevite ® elastomer business.

Before joining Tenneco, Yanos held various engineering positions with Sheller Globe, Inc. from 1985 to 1988. He holds a B.S. degree in engineering from Purdue University and an MBA from the University of Toledo.

Brent Bauer

Brent Bauer

Brent Bauer, senior vice president and general manager, North America Clean Air Division is responsible for the company's emissions control business in North America. Prior to assuming his current role, Bauer was vice president and general manager, original equipment emission control for Tenneco Automotive Europe.

Previously, he served as the regional director of manufacturing for the company's North American original equipment business unit. He joined Tenneco Automotive in 1996 as plant manager at the company's Ligonier, Indiana operations.

Prior to joining Tenneco Automotive, Bauer was with Aeroquip Corporation, where he held management positions in engineering and manufacturing operations both in North American and Europe.

Theo Bonneu

Theo Bonneu

Theo Bonneu, vice president, finance, International, is responsible for managing Tenneco's finance operations in Europe, South America, India and Asia Pacific. Bonneu is based in Tenneco's European headquarters in Brussels, Belgium.

In this role, Bonneu is responsible for Tenneco's overall financial plans and reporting financial performance in these global markets. He also oversees the company's adherence to governmental policies and accounting practices as well as Tenneco's relationship with lending institutions, shareholders and the financial community at large outside of North America.

In 2001, Bonneu was named vice president finance for Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA). Subsequently, his financial operations responsibilities grew to include South America (2004), India (2005) and Asia Pacific (2007).

In 1988, he was named finance director for Tenneco's European Emission Control business unit. Following Tenneco's acquisition of Heinrich Gillet Gmbh, in 1994, Bonneu led the finance operations for the company's European emission control business unit, based in Edenkoben, Germany. In 1997, he assumed a leadership role for finance for Tenneco's European aftermarket business unit.

Bonneu joined Tenneco in 1968 as a financial controller for the company's Monroe design, engineering and manufacturing facility in Sint Truiden, Belgium.

Bonneu has a master's of business administration degree in economics from the University of Leuven.

Michael J. Charlton

Michael J. Charlton

Michael Charlton, senior vice president, Global Manufacturing Development is responsible for Tenneco’s global manufacturing strategy and competency development, including optimizing the company’s manufacturing operations, overseeing its Tenneco Manufacturing System and Process Excellence programs, quality and assisting in the development and deployment of global business processes at all Tenneco locations.  Based in Brussels, Charlton is a member of Tenneco’s senior management team.

Prior to assuming his current role in March 2013, Charlton served as senior vice president, global supply chain management and manufacturing.

Previously, Charlton was managing director, India, overseeing all Tenneco’s business activities in India. Before that, he served as executive operations director, Clean Air, Europe, where he was responsible for operations across 22 manufacturing sites and contributed to the business unit's strong performance improvement.

Prior to joining Tenneco in 2005, Charlton spent eight years at TRW Automotive, where he held a variety of positions of increasing responsibility, the most recent being lead director European Purchasing and operations director, UK. He also spent five years working for Lucas where he was general manager Czech Republic and manufacturing manager, UK.

Charlton earned a Bachelor of Science degree in physics from Queen Elizabeth College at the University of London.

Marie Ffolkes

Marie Ffolkes

Marie Ffolkes, vice president and general manager, North America Ride Performance division and global elastomers, is responsible for Tenneco's, original equipment ride performance business in North America as well as its global elastomers business for both the original equipment market and aftermarket.  She is a member of Tenneco's senior management team.

Ffolkes joined Tenneco in March 2011 as VP and GM of the company’s global elastomers business after spending eight years with Johnson Controls (JCI), where she held several key leadership roles in that company's automotive business group, most recently serving as vice president and general manager, South America, based in Sao Bernardo, Brazil. Previously, she served as vice president and general manager of the JCI's Hyundai-Kia business in North America.

In February 2013, in addition to her role with global elastomers, Ffolkes was promoted to the position as head of the company’s North America OE ride performance business.  Her responsibilities include manufacturing, engineering, sales/marketing, finance, strategic planning and business development.

Before joining JCI, Ffolkes held positions of increasing responsibility at General Electric, including manager, global mergers and acquisitions, and manager, strategic pricing.

She earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Brooklyn College and a MBA in finance from Columbia University School of Business in New York.

Josep Fornos

Josep Fornos

Josep Fornos, executive vice president and general manager Ride Performance Division, is responsible for Tenneco's original equipment ride control and aftermarket business units in North America and Europe. In addition, Tenneco’s ride control businesses in South America, India, Australia, China and Asia will align strategically with the Ride Performance division.

In this newly created position, which was established in February 2013, Fornos will report to Tenneco COO Hari Nair.

Prior to the company realigning into its Clean Air and Ride Performance divisions, Fornos served as executive vice president Europe, South America and India. He was originally named to this position as senior vice president in July 2010, before being elevated to executive vice president in April 2012. A member of Tenneco’s senior management team, Fornos is based in Brussels, Belgium.

Fornos joined Tenneco in 2000 as vice president and general manager, Europe original equipment ride control, where he strengthened the company's competitiveness in the ride control segment by focusing on advanced technology and improving Tenneco's manufacturing footprint in Eastern Europe. In 2007, he was appointed vice president and general manager, Europe original equipment emission control.

Prior to joining Tenneco, Fornos spent a year at Lear Corporation as general manager of the company's seating and wire and harness business in France, following Lear's acquisition of United Technologies Automotive.

Fornos spent 16 years with United Technologies Automotive, holding several management positions in production, engineering and quality control in Spain and later having Europe-wide responsibility for engineering and quality control.

Wolfgang Fries

Wolfgang Fries

Wolfgang Fries, vice president, human resources international, is responsible for all HR activities in Europe, South America, India, Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Africa.

Based at Tenneco's European Headquarters in Brussels, Fries was elevated to his current role in December 2009.  He is a member of Tenneco's Senior Management Team and his duties include recruitment and selection, training and development, health and safety, compensation and benefits, and industrial relations.

Fries originally joined Tenneco in November 2005 as HR director for Europe OE emission control. In June 2008 he was promoted to executive director, HR, Europe and moved from Edenkoben, Germany to Brussels.

Prior to joining Tenneco, Fries worked in the biomedical industry where he served as VP Global HR for Qiagen. He previously worked for a number of automotive companies, including GDX Automotive, Audi AG Ingolstadt, Valeo and Faurecia.

He holds a Master of Business Administration from Hochschule für Berufstätige in Rendsburg, Germany.

Alex Gelbcke

Alex Gelbcke

Alex Gelbcke, vice president and general manager, Europe aftermarket, is responsible for the company's aftermarket business in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, (EMEA) which includes sales, marketing, engineering, strategic planning, and business development.

He also works closely with the aftermarket organizations in the International regions to integrate product offerings and marketing support programs.

Gelbcke was named to his current position in July 2007. Prior to that, he had been vice president of aftermarket sales and marketing in Europe since 2005. His previous assignments also included sales and marketing director for Central and East Europe, Middle East and Africa (2004); and sales and marketing director for Central and East Europe (2002). He joined Tenneco in 1998 from the mining company BIA, where he was general manager for North Africa in charge of sales, services and maintenance of mining and construction equipment.

Maritza Gibbons

Maritza Gibbons

Maritza Gibbons, vice president, strategic planning and business development, joined Tenneco in April 2008. In this role, she helps develop Tenneco's long-term strategic initiatives and evaluates new business ventures. Gibbons serves on Tenneco's senior management team.

Gibbons joined Tenneco from Omron Electronics LLC, where she was director, strategic planning and development, since 2005. She previously worked at Willis Stein & Partners, a Chicago private equity firm, as vice president and equity partner. Ms. Gibbons also held strategic development positions at Fortune 500 companies and consulting firm A.T. Kearney. She began her career at AT&T Bell Laboratories.

Gibbons holds a bachelor's degree in industrial engineering from the University of Miami, a master's degree in operations research from Columbia University and an MBA in finance and business policy/strategy from the University of Chicago.

Patrick Guo

Patrick Guo

Patrick Guo is responsible for the company's rapidly growing emission control, ride control and elastomer businesses in China.

Guo worked for Tenneco from 1996 to 2003, serving in roles of increasing responsibility in China and North America. He left Tenneco in October 2003 to become president of the AGC Automotive China Operations for the Ashai Glass Company. In that capacity, he headed the company's activities in the country, including two main plants and 10 assembly operations.

He returned to Tenneco in July 2007.

During his first tenure at Tenneco, Guo most recently served as general manager, Asia Aftermarket Operations, while based in Beijing, China.

Previously, he held the positions of general manager of the company's ride control operations in Beijing; manager, business development and strategy at the company's headquarters in Lake Forest, Illinois; and manager, manufacturing program support in Monroe, Michigan.

Before joining Tenneco, Guo was an engineer at the Ford Motor Company from 1992 to 1996, which included assignments in manufacturing, quality and product design.

He has BS degree from Tsinghua University, Beijing, and a MS degree from Ohio State University - both in Mechanical Engineering - and a MBA from the University of Michigan.

H. William Haser

H. William Haser

H. William Haser, 53, is vice president and chief information officer, Tenneco. In this role, Haser serves on Tenneco's Senior Management Team and has responsibility for the company's global information technology operations.

Haser was appointed vice president and CIO for Tenneco Automotive's American businesses in 1998 and was named to his current position in 2002. From 1995 until 1998, Mr. Haser served as vice president and CIO of Tenneco Packaging.

Since joining Tenneco Inc. in 1983 as a business analyst, Haser has served as assistant to the CEO of Tenneco Packaging; production and manufacturing manager in specialty packaging; plant general manager in molded fiber and controller for paperboard.

Haser is a graduate of Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management, and holds a BS in chemical engineering from Cornell University.

Tim Jackson

Tim Jackson

Tim Jackson is executive vice president for technology, strategy and business development. He was promoted to his current role in March 2012 after serving five years as the company’s senior vice president and chief technology officer. A member of the company’s senior management team, he is responsible for ensuring the company’s technology, strategy and business development initiatives are aligned to best deliver new opportunities and future growth.

Before that, he served as senior vice president of the company's North American original equipment business with full profit and loss responsibility and operational control of design, engineering, manufacturing and distribution facilities and directed the company's global original equipment strategy.

Jackson joined Tenneco Automotive in 1999 after more than 20 years of management experience, including 14 in the automotive industry. Before joining Tenneco Automotive, he was president of the Automotive Fluid Handling Division of ITT Industries with responsibility for the unit's worldwide business operations. He served also as chief executive officer for HiSan, a joint venture between ITT Industries and Sanoh Industrial Company that had annual sales of $100 million to Japanese automakers. Prior to joining ITT Industries, he held management positions at B.F. Goodrich Aerospace and General Motors Corporation.

Jackson received a BS degree in Mechanical Engineering from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology and a master's degree in Manufacturing Management from GMI Engineering and Management Institute.

Jeff Jarrell

Jeff Jarrell

Jeff Jarrell is vice president and managing director, Japan and Korea. In this position, he is responsible for managing Tenneco's global business and growth opportunities across all product lines for this customer segment. In this role, he is responsible for the company's Yokohama, Japan, office and for its global sales and engineering team.

Jarrell joined Tenneco Automotive in 1981 and has 29 years of automotive industry experience, working exclusively with Asian OEMs since the late 1980s. Prior to assuming his present position, Jeff filled a number of business roles of increasing responsibility in engineering, sales and management, including director of the international vehicle group business unit from 1997 to 2000. In that capacity, he was a key member of the team that developed and negotiated strategic alliances with Futaba Industrial Company, Ltd., and Hitachi Automotive Systems (Tokico). Most recently he served as vice president, Japanese OEM business and Asia business development.

Jarrell is also a board member for Tenneco Automotive's operations in Yokohama and for its joint venture with Futaba in the United Kingdom.

Jarrell attended Spring Arbor College, is a graduate of Northwestern University's Kellogg Graduate School of Management's executive development program and has completed advanced studies at the University of Michigan's East Asia Program.

Barbara A. Kluth

Barbara A. Kluth

Barbara A. Kluth, senior vice president, global human resources, is responsible for labor relations, employee relations, compensation and benefits practices as well as implementation of Human Resources (HR) programs and policies globally. A member of Tenneco's senior management team, Barb oversees the company's environmental, health and safety function worldwide.

Prior to assuming her current role in April 2010, Kluth had served as executive director, HR, North America, providing HR leadership and support to all corporate functional groups - strategic planning and business development, information technology, finance, communications, legal, and human resources.

Kluth joined Tenneco in 1985 as an internal auditor. She moved into human resources in 1988 when she was named HR manager for the Marshall, Michigan plant. She had held a number of HR positions with increasing responsibilities and in 2001 was named executive director, HR, North America.

A graduate of Chicago State University with a Bachelor's of Science in Business Management, Kluth has been a member of Society of Human Resource Managers since 2001.

James Kujawski

James Kujawski

James Kujawski is vice president, controller for Tenneco’s Ride Performance division, responsible for responsible for financial planning and analysis, reporting and financial controls for the company’s Ride Performance strategic business units in North America and Europe. He is based in Brussels, Belgium and serves on Tenneco's senior management team.

Prior to the company realigning into its Clean Air and Ride Performance divisions in February 2013, Kujawski served as vice president finance, Europe, South America & India.

Kujawski originally joined Tenneco in 2001 as SBU controller for the North America Original Equipment Emission Control business.  Beginning in 2008, he worked on the integration of Tenneco's newly acquired ride control operations in Kettering, Ohio, before being elevated to the role of controller, North America.

In addition to his roles at Tenneco, Kujawski served both as a division controller for two global operations for Eaton Corporation as well as controller for the Norandex distribution business of Owens Corning. He began his career in financial planning and analysis, business planning, and strategic planning positions for Aeroquip-Vickers, Inc.

Kujawski holds a Bachelors degree in Corporate Finance from the University of Toledo and an MBA from the University of Michigan.

John Kunz

John Kunz

John Kunz is Tenneco's vice president, treasurer and tax. In this role, Kunz is responsible for the company's global tax function. Mr. Kunz also oversees the company's treasury, insurance and investment activities including building and managing relationships with the banking community and rating agencies.

Kunz joined Tenneco Automotive in 2004 from Great Lakes Chemical Corporation, where he rose through positions of increasing responsibility to become vice president and treasurer. In that capacity, he oversaw commercial and investment banking relationships; global cash management; capital structure analysis, rating agency relationships, benefit plan oversight; foreign exchange, interest rate and commodity risk management; and credit and collections.

Prior to joining Great Lakes in 1999, Kunz was director - corporate development at Weirton Steel Corporation, where he also held prior positions in capital planning, business development and financial analysis. He joined Weirton from KPMG Peat Marwick.

Kunz, who holds a BA in accounting from the University of Notre Dame and an MBA in finance from Northwestern University, is a director of Wabash National Corporation.

Guillermo Minuzzi

Guillermo Minuzzi

Guillermo Minuzzi, vice president, managing director, South America, is responsible for all of Tenneco's OE and aftermarket operations in South America. He was named to his current position in March 2007.

Prior to his current assignment, Minuzzi had been vice president of OE and aftermarket sales, marketing and engineering for Tenneco South America since 2003. Prior to that assignment, he held the role of director of aftermarket sales and manufacturing in South America since May 2000. Minuzzi joined the company in 1996 as plant manager, Walker, when Tenneco acquired Luis Minuzzi e Hijos SAIC, a leading emission control company in Argentina.

Enrique Orta

Enrique Orta

Enrique Orta, vice president and general manager, Europe Clean Air Division, is responsible for original equipment (OE) emission control production and sales in Europe. He is based at Tenneco's European emissions control headquarters in Edenkoben, Germany.

Prior to assuming his current position, Orta was executive director, operations, European emission control. In this position, he was responsible for directing all manufacturing activities at Tenneco's emission control plants in Europe, including South Africa.

Orta joined Tenneco in 1995 as financial controller and HR manager at the company's newly acquired Valencia, Spain emissions control plant. He has held various positions in the operations group including Valencia plant manager, regional director of Tenneco's South Europe operations and program director for Tenneco's European emission control business.

Orta has a degree in economics and business administration from the University of Valencia and an MBA from Cambridge University.

Paul D. Novas

Paul D. Novas

Paul Novas is vice president and controller for Tenneco. He serves as the company's principal accounting officer with responsibility for Tenneco's corporate accounting and financial reporting globally.

Novas joined Tenneco Inc. in 1996 as assistant treasurer responsible for corporate finance and North American treasury activities. He played a lead role in the planning and execution of the financial transactions leading to the separation of Tenneco's shipbuilding, energy and automotive and packaging business in 1996 and to the separation of Tenneco's packaging and automotive businesses in 1999. At that time, Novas was named vice president and treasurer.

Before joining Tenneco, Novas worked at the New York Treasurer's office of General Motors Corporation for ten years where he held a series of positions of increasing responsibility in international finance, business development, employee benefit plans, labor negotiations, executive compensation, worldwide banking relations and treasury operations.

He graduated from the University of Chicago in 1986 with an MBA degree and from Cornell University in 1982 with a B.S. degree in mechanical engineering and a B.A. degree in economics.

Sandro Paparelli

Sandro Paparelli

Sandro Paparelli, vice president and general manager, Europe Ride Performance Division is responsible for Tenneco's original equipment (OE) ride control business in Europe. He is based in Sint Truiden, the business unit's headquarters.

Previously, Paparelli was responsible for original equipment ride control sales and program management in Europe, a position he held since 1999. During that time, he expanded Tenneco's OE ride control base in Europe, including securing the company's first-ever ride control business with Mercedes and BMW.

He continues to lead the company's Marzocchi business, which Tenneco acquired in 2008. Paparelli managed all European OE sales and engineering functions - emission control and ride control - between 1997 and 1999. Prior to that time, he held a number of positions of increasing responsibility in sales, application engineering and program management before being named vice president, original equipment and engineering in 1994.

Paparelli, who holds a master's degree in engineering science from the University of Liège (Belgium) and a management degree from the University of Brussels (Belgium), began his career as a research engineer for an independent research center before joining Tenneco in 1982 as a research and development engineer at the company's Monroe Engineering and Technology Center in Sint Truiden.

Joseph A. Pomaranski

Joseph A. Pomaranski

Joe Pomaranski, vice president and general manager, North America aftermarket, is responsible for the company's aftermarket business in North America. Originally named VP, North America aftermarket in July of 2008, Pomaranski added the title of GM in November 2010. He has full responsibility for the aftermarket business including engineering, sales/marketing, finance, strategic planning and business development. Prior to assuming his current role, Pomaranski was vice president of sales, North America aftermarket.

He joined Tenneco in 1999 from Federal Mogul where he held the position of director of sales, special markets. Prior to that, he worked for Cooper Automotive as vice president of sales for the traditional and retail business. His career began with Champion Spark Plug where he held various positions from 1977 to 1998.

Pomaranski holds a B.S. degree in accounting from Salem College in Salem, West Virginia, and serves on several industry boards and committees.

Jane Ostrander

Jane Ostrander

Jane Ostrander, vice president of global communications, directs Tenneco's corporate communications worldwide. She is responsible for corporate positioning and reputation, communications strategy and policy, executive communications, employee communications, media and public relations, issues management and corporate contributions.

A member of the company's senior management team, Ostrander was elevated to her current role in May 2011, after joining the company 11 years ago and serving most recently as Tenneco's executive director, global communications.

Previous to Tenneco, Ostrander served as senior manager, global public relations and media relations for Arthur Andersen, the professional services firm specializing in audit and assurance, tax, business consulting and corporate finance. In this role, she helped manage firm positioning, reputation management and media relations worldwide.

Prior to joining Arthur Anderson in September 1998, Ostrander spent nearly seven years at Morton International, a Fortune 500 manufacturer of specialty chemicals, airbags and salt. She held positions of increasing responsibility including manager of corporate communications; manager of government and community relations; and manager of strategic communications reporting to the vice president of communications and investor relations.

She began her career with the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C., first working in the legislative affairs group and then as a member of the agency's public affairs team.

Ostrander holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from DePauw University and a Masters degree in corporate public relations from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism.

Kevin Swint

Kevin Swint

Since July 2008, Kevin Swint has served as vice president and general manager, North America, ride control, responsible for all ride control operations in North America. He reports to Neal Yanos, executive vice president, North America and serves on Tenneco's senior management team.

Prior to assuming his current position, Swint served as executive director of manufacturing and engineering for the ride control business, from 2000-2008. In this position, he was responsible for engineering and manufacturing activities for ride control.

Swint previously served as director of engineering for the North American original equipment and aftermarket and as a chief engineer for the North America aftermarket, ride control. Before starting his career at Tenneco, Swint worked as a co-op student for General Motors from 1984-1986. Swint holds a B.S. degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Toledo.