Dana names Byron Foster CEO effective July 1 to accelerate electrification growth
- Byron Foster named CEO effective July 1 to accelerate Dana's electrification and clean‑energy solutions. • R. Bruce McDonald stays chairman to ensure continuity and preserve customer relationships during the leadership handover. • Dana reports $7.5B 2025 sales, about 28,000 employees, and global operations across drive, electrodynamic, thermal, and digital systems.
Leadership handover set for July 1 as Dana charts electrification growth
Dana Inc. names Byron Foster as chief executive officer effective July 1, 2026, in a structured succession that aims to preserve customer continuity while accelerating the company’s shift toward electrification and clean‑energy solutions. The board keeps R. Bruce McDonald as chairman, maintaining continuity at the board level after McDonald’s dual role as chairman and CEO since 2024. The move positions Foster to lead execution of Dana’s strategy to scale electrified propulsion, expand margins and drive operational efficiencies across its global footprint.
Foster, currently senior vice president and president of Light Vehicle Systems — Dana’s largest business unit — is already overseeing significant commercial and operational activity that the company says is delivering sales growth and margin improvement. His promotion signals a continued emphasis on engineering‑led innovation in drive and motion systems, electrodynamic technologies with software and controls, and integrated thermal, sealing and digital solutions that support nearly every vehicle manufacturer. Management frames the transition as designed to protect customer relationships and ensure uninterrupted delivery of OEM and commercial services as Dana grows its electrification and clean‑energy product lines.
The succession is accompanied by a clear continuity plan: McDonald remains engaged as chairman to support the handover and to preserve strategic oversight while Foster implements growth initiatives across light and commercial vehicle markets. Dana highlights the structured timetable through July 1 as intended to enable succession planning, stable customer engagement and the operational focus required to expand margins and pursue innovation across six continents.
Company scale and operations
Headquartered in Maumee, Ohio, Dana reports preliminary 2025 sales of $7.5 billion and employs about 28,000 people in 24 countries. The company positions itself as a global leader in efficient propulsion and energy‑management solutions, offering products across drive and motion systems, electrodynamic technologies, thermal and sealing systems, and digital services that integrate controls and software.
Executive credentials and strategic intent
Foster brings more than two decades of senior leadership experience, including executive roles at Johnson Controls and Adient plc and board service at Wabtec Corporation. He holds a BBA from the University of Michigan and an MBA from Northwestern University. Foster says he is honored by the board’s trust and intends to build on Dana’s engineering legacy to innovate and grow the business for long‑term success.