Ms Parlier is returning to the US and after a transition period, will take up the position of director of product planning for Kenworth in Seattle.

Mr May, who has been with Paccar for almost 30 years, is currently director of sales and marketing.

He joined Paccar as a graduate engineer in 1993 and has held the sales and marketing position since taking over that role from current managing director Andrew Hadjikakou in 2016.

His extensive product knowledge and experience at Paccar also includes his positions as national sales manager of Kenworth, product development manager and aftersales manager.

As chief engineer, he will now be responsible for planning and managing Paccar Australia’s engineering, aftersales and product development activities.

Combined with his passion for the industry and strong relationships with dealers and customers, he has successfully implemented many projects and improvements throughout his career.

During his time in the current role, Mr May oversaw the introduction of the wide-cab Kenworth T610 and T410 models and last year’s release of the Kenworth Legend SAR Anniversary Edition.

The limited-edition model had an order window open for only 24 hours but it succeeded in attracting more than 750 confirmed orders for what industry observers describe as being likely to become an icon of the Australian truck market.

Ms Parlier has been in the chief engineer position for almost four years. She previously held engineer and project management roles for four years with Kenworth in Washington, including assistant chief engineer.

She also worked in the Paccar Technical Centre in Washing for nine years and previously held positions with S&K Electronics and Boeing.

The personnel change comes as Paccar prepares to launch its new Kenworth cabover truck, a project that Ms Parlier has been closely involved with since its inception.

By Neil Dowling