DENSO North America Foundation Welcomes New President and Board of Directors

New leaders to carry on the foundation’s 20-plus year tradition of supporting STEM education, disaster relief

SOUTHFIELD, Mich., Aug. 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — DENSO, a leading mobility supplier, announced today a new president and board of directors for its philanthropic organization, the DENSO North America Foundation (DNAF).

Marty Deschenes, leader of DENSO North America South Sub-Region Manufacturing and president of the company’s Athens, Tennessee, facility, will serve as the president of DNAF.

“For nearly 30 years at DENSO, I’ve always looked for ways to make a difference. I’m grateful and humbled to have a new opportunity to do so as president of the foundation,” said Deschenes. “With the strong leadership of our Board of Directors, I’m confident that we’ll continue to advance DNAF’s mission to support technical education and communities in need.”

The new Board of Directors are 12 distinguished current and former DENSO leaders from across North America.

The 2024 DNAF board members are:

Deschenes will be assisted by Bob Townsend, the vice president of DNAF, Corporate Services, Government Affairs and Corporate Communications.

Among the changes, David Cole, a founding DNAF board member and automotive visionary is stepping down after 23 years of service. Cole advised DENSO when it created the foundation in 2001, helping the company become the first Japan-headquartered automotive supplier to launch a charitable foundation in North America. Throughout his career, he worked extensively on the advancement of internal combustion engines and vehicle design. In 2003, Cole helped launch the Center for Automotive Research in Ann Arbor, Michigan, an independent nonprofit dedicated to researching automotive issues and trends. 

“David is a giant of our industry and the ultimate advocate for how it can transform lives for the better,” said Townsend. “While we are saddened by his departure from our Board of Directors, we are grateful for his many significant contributions over the last 23 years. His record of service is a model for how we will continue to strive to contribute to a better world.”

Since 2001, DNAF has given $16.6 million dollars in grants to more than 110 organizations, helping advance science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education; build the workforce of the future; and support local communities in need of natural disaster relief.

DNAF grant proposals are by invitation only and evaluated based on technical merit, student experience and alignment with industry needs.

For more information about the foundation, go here.

About DENSO
Globally headquartered in Kariya, Japan, DENSO is a $47.2 billion leading mobility supplier that develops advanced technology and components for nearly every vehicle make and model on the road today. With manufacturing at its core, DENSO invests in around 180 facilities worldwide to provide opportunities for rewarding careers and to produce cutting-edge electrification, powertrain, thermal and mobility electronics products, among others, that change how the world moves. In developing such solutions, the company’s 162,000 global employees are paving the way to a mobility future that improves lives, eliminates traffic accidents, and preserves the environment. DENSO spent around 7.7 percent of its global consolidated sales on research and development in the fiscal year ending March 31, 2024. For more information about DENSO’s operations worldwide, visit www.denso.com/global.

In North America, DENSO is headquartered in Southfield, Michigan, and employs 27,000+ engineers, researchers, and skilled workers across nearly 50 sites in the U.S, Canada and Mexico. In the United States alone, DENSO employs 17,500+ employees across 14 states (and the District of Columbia) at 41 sites. In the fiscal year ending March 31, 2024, DENSO in North America generated $11.7 billion in consolidated sales. DENSO is committed to advancing diversity and inclusion inside the company and beyond – a principle that brings together unique perspectives, bolsters innovation and pushes DENSO forward. To learn more about DENSO operations in the region and to review current career opportunities, please visit www.denso.com/us-ca/en/.

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SOURCE DENSO