Draexlmaier names Kerry Curvey new CEO

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The Draexlmaier Group, a supplier to the international automotive industry and one of the Upstate’s largest employers, has named Kerry Curvey its new CEO for the Americas region. The appointment was effective Feb. 1.

Curvey succeeds Josef Mittermeier, who is returning to the corporate headquarters of the Draexlmaier Group in Germany to lead the key accounts for BMW and Next Mobility customers, according to a news release.

Curvey has been with the Draexlmaier Group since June 2019, when she was hired as chief commercial officer for the Americas region. In this function, she was responsible for human resources, site infrastructure, information technology, legal affairs and corporate communications for the Draexlmaier locations in Mexico, Nicaragua and the United States, which includes the production sites in Duncan and Livermore, Calif., the news release said.

As CEO for the Americas region, which is headquartered in Duncan, Curvey will organize the team responsible for success in the region, the news release said. She reports directly to the CEO of the Draexlmaier Group, Jürgen Otto.

Prior to joining Draexlmaier, Curvey spent 16 years in human resources at Brose North America, most recently as vice president of HR.  She also served on the talent committee and CEO Council for MICHauto, the Michigan automotive and mobility cluster association.

“The Draexlmaier Group has positioned itself to be a major player in the field of next mobility solutions,” Curvey said in the release. “I am honored to lead such an amazing team of innovative and engaged professionals and help grow our family business together.”

Headquartered in Vilsbiburg, Germany, the Draexlmaier Group has been manufacturing complex electrical systems and interiors for premium automakers in the Americas since 1976. The company currently has 13 production sites in the region, including the site in Duncan, where it has been manufacturing interior systems since 1996.