Gareth Jones, managing director of ebm-papst Automotive and Drives is to be the new SMMT president, taking office from 1 January 2015.
Jones has more than 26 years' experience with ebm-papst, and is an engineer by training.
"I'm enormously honoured to succeed Tim Abbott as president of SMMT and I would like to congratulate him on such a successful tenure," says Jones.
"I'm very proud to accept this role and look forward to working with the SMMT team and my industry colleagues to promote the best interests of the automotive industry."
Abbott, who has now completed a second year as SMMT president becomes deputy president.
He has also taken up a post with BMW in South Africa, following his most recent role as managing director of BMW Group UK.
Three new Vice Presidents have also now been appointed. They are: Penny Randall, marketing director of Renault Trucks UK; Tony Walker, deputy managing director, Toyota Motor Manufacturing (UK); and James Wright, managing director, Nissan Motor (GB).
They join previous the existing vice presidents: Mark Ovenden, chairman and managing director of Ford of Britain; John Neill CBE, chairman and group chief executive with Unipart Group; and Ralf Speth, CEO of Jaguar Land Rover.
