Michigan supplier Piston Group names new CFO, COO

DETROIT — Gordon Fournier has been named CFO and COO of suburban Detroit auto supplier Piston Group.

The Southfield, Mich.-based supplier, privately owned by former Detroit Pistons basketball star Vinnie Johnson, said in a statement Wednesday that Fournier will take the titles effective March 16.

Piston Group — which is comprised of Piston Automotive, Irvin Automotive Products, Detroit Thermal Systems and nonautomotive business AIREA Inc. — primarily supplies chassis, electronics assemblies, electric batteries, cooling modules and other automotive components.

Piston Group's worldwide sales to automakers hit $2.8 billion in 2018.

Ford Motor Co. is Piston Group's largest customer, bolstered by the supplier's launch of cooling modules for the Ford F-150. Piston is also assembling lithium-ion battery packs from LG Chem and Panasonic for use in Ford's plug-in-electric vehicle lineup and has plans to extend production into its battery-electric vehicles.

Piston Group also supplies General Motors, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, Toyota Motor Corp. and Honda Motor Co.

Fournier, 58, takes over as CFO and COO after Amit Singhi held the roles since August 2017. Singhi is no longer with the company. 

Fournier will oversee the group's overall operational performance and be responsible for financial management and financing for each of the Piston Group companies, the company said in the statement.

Fournier has held several leadership roles, including CFO of Masco Corp. subsidiary Masco Cabinetry while the company turned around its significant financial troubles.

Most notably, Fournier was vice president of finance positions for automotive global complete seat, automotive electronics and interiors and automotive seating Americas at former automotive supplier Johnson Controls Inc. Johnson Controls sold its power solutions business in a move to exit the automotive industry in November 2018.

The change-up comes as Piston Group has worked to grow its business efforts. The supplier acquired brake module assembler Marion Industries from Ernie Green Industries last October, a move that added Honda to Piston Group's list of customers.