Genuine Parts Company, a distributor of automotive and industrial replacement parts, has appointed James F. Howe to the position of President, Motion, the company's industrial business, effective April 1, 2024.
Most recently, Howe served as the executive vice president and chief commercial and technology officer. The company said his leadership in overseeing eCommerce, strategic pricing, sales excellence, corporate accounts and human resources has been instrumental in driving the company's success.
In his new capacity, Howe will continue to report to Randy Breaux, Group President, GPC North America.
"James has an impressive history, having served in numerous executive roles during his long career at Motion," said Paul Donahue, Chairman and CEO. "His extensive experience makes him an excellent choice to lead Motion. We feel confident that under James's leadership, our talented and experienced Motion team will continue to achieve great results."
New SVP named
The Howe appointment comes on the heels of Motion Industries Inc., a leading distributor of maintenance, repair and operation replacement parts, naming Chris Cleland to Senior Vice President of Strategy & Markets.
Cleland’s career spans over 25 years in consulting, strategy, marketing, branding, e-commerce, business development and transformation. In his previous role as principal consultant at Cummings Creative Group (CCG) for the past 20 years, he led multiple initiatives across several industry verticals, driving growth and innovation for clients — including 12+ years consulting with Motion on marketing and strategy projects. Prior to his time with CCG, Cleland worked as president and owner of LithoSigns and as a sales manager with Citadel Broadcasting.
In his new role, Cleland will lead Motion’s strategy development for its business groups, plus the e-commerce and digital teams. He will report to James Howe, Motion’s executive vice president – chief commercial officer/chief technology officer.
