LISLE, Ill., Dec. 19, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Navistar International Corporation today announced the appointment of Dennis "Denny" Mooney as group vice president, Global Product Development. Mooney succeeds Ramin Younessi, who is leaving Navistar to pursue other opportunities.

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Mooney, 56, joined Navistar in 2009 as vice president, global product development, where he has been responsible for developing a fully integrated global engineering group.

"Denny's broad product development experience and passion for quality combined with his demonstrated ability to drive program management is exactly what we need to accelerate Navistar's strategy to bring the highest quality trucks to the market," said Troy Clarke, president and chief operating officer.

With more than 34 years of experience in the truck and automotive industry, Mooney has held a variety of roles in domestic and international operations and product development. Highlights of his 31-year career at General Motors (GM) included being the executive director for vehicle performance at GM Engineering and serving as chairman and managing director of GM Holden in Australia.  Prior to retiring from GM in 2009, Mooney was the vice president of global vehicle systems and integration. Mooney also gained expertise in engine and emissions systems while at Oldsmobile, where he was responsible for emissions certification for gas and diesel engines.

Mooney earned a bachelor of science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Michigan and a master of science in National Resource Strategy from National Defense University. He is a longtime member of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) and a past board member of the National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering (NACME).