Dauch Named to Succeed Father as American Axle CEO

American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings Inc. has appointed David Dauch, its president and COO, to become CEO on Sept. 1. He will keep the job of president.

Dauch will succeed his father Dick Dauch, the company's co-founder, who will become executive chairman. David Dauch joined Detroit-based AAM in 1995 from Collins & Aikman Products Co.

The senior Dauch worked at General Motors and Volkswagen before rising to executive vice president of manufacturing at Chrysler. After retiring in 1991, he led a private investor group that bought GM's gear and axle business in 1994.

Dauch, a former football player at Purdue University, cemented his longtime reputation as a hard-nosed manager during a rancorous labor strike at AAM in 2008.

Separately, David Dauch tells the Detroit Free Press the company plans to add 400 to 500 jobs over the next couple of years at its driveline plant in Three Rivers, Mich., which now employs 900 hourly workers.