New Exec VP At Meritor

Chris Villavarayan has been named executive vice president and chief operating officer (COO) of Meritor, Inc. Villavarayan, 49, has served as senior vice president and president of Meritor’s Global Truck segment since January 2018.

In his new position, Villavarayan will have global operating responsibility for both of Meritor’s business segments, Global Truck and Aftermarket & Industrial and Trailer, and will continue to report directly to Jay Craig, Meritor’s CEO and president.

“Chris has a diverse background with the company over a 20-year career, during which time he has demonstrated a proven track record of leading the business to meet and exceed established objectives in all areas,” said Craig. “Chris has the right qualities and skills to step into the COO role as we embark on our M2022 plan, from relevant experience across our business, to his understanding of the industry landscape and a proven track record of high performance.”

Before being appointed senior vice president and president of Meritor’s Global Truck segment, Villavarayan served as president of Truck Americas, responsible for Meritor’s Commercial Truck, Defense and Specialty businesses in North and South America. He also had responsibility for Meritor’s Global Components Engineering, Product Validation and Materials Engineering, as well as Engineering and Program Management. While at Meritor, he also served as vice president of Global Manufacturing and Supply Chain Management and managing director for Meritor’s operations in India, leading Meritor Heavy Vehicle Systems (India) Ltd.

With Villavarayan’s appointment to operating head of the company’s core businesses, Meritor’s global electrification business will now report directly to Craig. The business will be led by T.J. Reed, vice president of Global Electrification for Meritor.