GAZ Group, a part of one of the Russia’s largest diversified industrial groups – Basic Element, , announces new appointments. The staffing decisions that are to become effective on May 5, 2015, are aimed at improving the company’s management deficiency during launching new models and developing component production as part of import substitution programs.
The newly appointed Director of Light Commercial and Passenger Vehicles (LC&PV) Division is Pavel Sereda, who was previously responsible for the Division’s strategic development and is the current Director for Development of GAZ Group. The newly appointed Director for GAZ Group Production Sites Development is Evgeniy Gorynin, who was previously responsible for this area of activities in LC&PV Division. LC&PV Production Director Andrey Sofonov was appointed to the position of the Division’s Operations Director. Director of Strategic Marketing and Product Planning Department of Autocomponent Division Alexey Zaitsev was appointed to the position of the Director for Development of Autocomponent Division.
Pavel Sereda was appointed the Director of Light Commercial and Passenger Vehicles Division. In this capacity he will be responsible for development and production of new products for the domestic and international markets, for compliance with the highest quality standards, operational costs reduction and efficiency improvement. Since 2008 Pavel Sereda held the position of the Division’s Director for Development and was responsible for designing new GAZ products – from the upgraded GAZelle Business to a new generation LCV family NEXT. For the past year Mr. Sereda also has been the Director for Development of GAZ Group. In this capacity he supervises the process of development of all new products and is responsible for adoption of a modular approach, which envisages using common chassis, cab modules and powertrains for light, medium and heavy duty vehicles and buses.
Evgeniy Gorynin was appointed the Director for Production Sites Development of GAZ Group. His duties will include increasing operational efficiency, adoption of best practices and managing renovation activities at all facilities of the company. Previously Evgeniy Gorynin held the positions of the Production Director and the Director for Development of New Production Sites of LC&PV Division. Back then he supervised the formation of a team of young and promising managers that carried out reorganization of Gorky Automobile Plant production facilities in the time of fast renewal of the model range. The team managed to achieve record assembly line operation rates – 520 vehicles per day, labor productivity was increased by 20%. In 2012-2013 Engeniy Gorynin supervised the launch of Volkswagen/Skoda and Daimler contract manufacturing projects.
Andrey Sofonov was appointed the Operations Director of LC&PV Division. In the new capacity he will handle the matters of ensuring production processes efficiency and cost reduction at all production sites of the Division: GAZ light commercial vehicles and medium duty trucks production facility and contract manufacturing facilities, Nizhny Novgorod Motors plant, Ulyanovsk Motor Works and Saransk Tipper Plant. Previously Mr. Sofonov held the positions of the Senior Process Engineer and the Production Director of LC&PV Division. In 2012-2014 he supervised the GAZelle NEXT and GAZon NEXT preproduction activities.
Alexey Zaytsev was appointed the Director for Development of Autocomponent Division. He will focus on mastering the production of new assemblies for NEXT family vehicles, developing partnerships with global OEMs and import replacement. Previously Mr. Zaytsev headed the Division’s Strategic Marketing and Product Planning Department and was involved in planning a strategy of GAZ Group automotive components business development. As part of implementing this strategy GAZ Group established joint ventures with such global OEMs as Bosal (exhaust systems production) and Bulten (fasteners production), diversified its orders portfolio and expanded the product mix.
Vadim Sorokin, GAZ Group President:
– Currently GAZ Group is facing two major tasks: The first one is mastering the production of new products that will enable us to strengthen our positions in the domestic market, among other things – through import substitution, and will also increase our export capabilities. The second one – is ensuring maximum work efficiency in all areas of activity and reducing costs, which will enable us to develop and grow even in the conditions of economic recession. Pavel Sereda, Evgeniy Gorynin, Andrey Sofonov and Alexey Zaytsev are outstanding professionals with an experience of implementing large-scale projects that transformed GAZ Group in the recent years. I am confident that they are capable of accomplishing major tasks that the company is facing today.
