In a statement, the institute said Catterall will take on his new role as vice president, automotive program, on 1 March. He succeeds Jody Hall, who is retiring at the end of this month. 

“As an industry, we’ve made tremendous strides in the automotive market over the last six years under Jody’s leadership,” said AISI president and chief executive Thomas J. Gibson. “John’s extensive background in automotive engineering will help him continue our momentum as we face the challenges of competing materials and future mobility applications.”

Catterall will lead AISI’s Automotive Applications Council and coordinate collaborations between the steel and automotive industries
through the Auto/Steel Partnership.

Catterall has spent nearly 40 years in automotive engineering and holds degrees in mechanical and production automotive engineering. Prior to his position with the Auto/Steel Partnership, he served as global innovation manager for body systems at General Motors for 16 years. 

“This is an exciting time as vehicles are evolving rapidly with future mobility becoming a reality,”  Catterall said. “Steel will always be in the forefront of value-added automotive engineering and manufacturing, and I am eager to continue leading the industry forward.”