Continental announced that Jerry Gabbard, vice president and general manager of the commercial vehicles and aftermarket business unit in North America, will retire after 13 years of service with Continental.

James Bayley will succeed Gabbard, assuming the position of vice president and general manager commercial vehicles and aftermarket business unit in North America.

In this role, Bayley will be responsible for the organization’s strategic development and overall executive management for its commercial vehicles, specialty vehicles, aftermarket, transportation technologies and OE services business segments, according to the company. Bayley will also oversee the design engineering, customer support and focus factory resources at Continental’s manufacturing facility in Guadalajara, Mexico.

As a 10-year veteran of Continental, Bayley has held a variety of assignments within the company, including business development manager and global sales and portfolio manager. His most recent position was director of FIAT Chrysler customer center, instrumentation and driver HMI business unit within the Continental’s interior division.

Before joining Continental, Bayley worked at Visteon Corp. and Ford Motor Co. He has more than 24 years of experience in the fields of engineering, project management, sales and business development.

Bayley earned his Bachelor’s of Science Degree in materials science and engineering from the University of Michigan and his Master’s Degree in chemical engineering from the University of Detroit. He is an active member of a number of industry trade organizations including the Original Equipment Supplier Association, the Motor Equipment and Manufacturing Association and the American Trucking Association.