Ronald M. Pirtle

Ronald M. Pirtle, 55, is a vice president of Delphi Corporation and president of Powertrain Systems. He is also president of Delphi Europe, Middle East & Africa with oversight responsibilities for that region. He is a member of the Delphi Strategy Board, the company's top policy-making group.

Pirtle began his career with General Motors (GM) in 1972 as a Kettering University student. After graduation in 1977, he joined the Chevrolet Motor Division as an industrial engineer in the division's Flint, MI manufacturing plant. He transferred to the GM corporate financial staff in 1980. Subsequent appointments on the finance staff included director of overseas operations analysis, director of cost analysis, and director of budget analysis and business planning.

In 1987, Pirtle moved to the Flint Automotive Division of the Buick-Oldsmobile-Cadillac (B-O-C) Group as manager of finance and planning. He was named comptroller of the Pontiac Division in 1988 and, in 1990, became executive-in-charge of the GM corporate strategic planning group. Pirtle was named finance director for AC Delco Systems in 1992 and, in 1993, Pirtle assumed additional responsibilities as Champion for the Fuel Handling and Evaporator Business Team. In 1994, he was named director of North American Operations at Delphi Packard Electric Systems, where he had business responsibility for Packard's multi-billion dollar operations in the U.S. and Mexico. In 1996, he was promoted to General Manager of Delphi Harrison Thermal Systems and elected a General Motors Vice President. Pirtle was named vice president, Delphi Corporation and president, Delphi Harrison Thermal Systems in November 1998. He remained in that role until January 2004 when Delphi created the new Thermal & Interior division comprised of business lines from the former Delphi Harrison Thermal Systems division, interior business lines from the former Safety & Interior division and HVAC electronic controls business from the former Delco Electronics division. In July 2006, he became president, Delphi Thermal Systems division, as the interior business was separated for sale, and remained in that role until his current appointment in May 2008.

In 1990, he received Dollar and Sense magazine's award as one of “America's Best and Brightest Young Business and Professional Men.” In 1998, he was named a “Western New York Black Achiever” and, in 2003, was inducted into the Western New York Junior Achievement Business Leadership Hall of Fame. He has also served on the Business Council of New York State and was a member of the Buffalo Fiscal Stability Authority, an appointment made by New York State Gov. George Pataki in 2003.

A native of Jackson, Tenn., Pirtle earned a bachelor's degree in industrial administration from GMI in 1977 and master's degree in business administration from Harvard University in 1980.