ACEA Names New Top Official

European carmaker group ACEA has hired former Procter & Gamble executive Erik Jonnaert to become its secretary general in November.

He will succeed Ivan Hodac, who plans to retire after 12 years leading the Brussels-based organization.

Jonnaert is consumer goods giant Procter & Gamble's vice president for external relations in Asia, based in Singapore. He also is vice president of the European Chamber of Commerce in Singapore.

ACEA elects a president every one to two years from among the CEOs of its 15 member companies. The secretary general oversees the group's administration. He also chairs its joint committee, the panel of senior auto executives that prepares ACEA decisions.