Daniel E. Nicholson, P.E., Executive Director, Global Powertrain Embedded Controls, GM

Dan Nicholson is the Executive Director for Global Powertrain Embedded Controls at GM. He has held this role since April, 2011. Dan is responsible for running the day-to-day operations of the global engineering team responsible for all powertrain controllers and software as well as calibrating all powertrains, providing customer-pleasing drive quality, and ensuring compliance with tailpipe emissions standards and on-board diagnostics.

Prior to this appointment, Dan was the vice president of Global Quality from 2010-2011. He held this role after repatriating from Germany where he served as the head of Powertrain Product Engineering Europe from 2005-2010. The scope of this role included the development and engineering of all engines, transmissions, and alternative propulsion systems in the region.

Dan began his career with General Motors as a co-op student at Buick Motor Division in 1982. He has an extensive background in Product Engineering and subsequently progressed through a series of leadership positions including engineering group manager, director of controller integration, and director of engine calibration. In 2004, he was named chief engineer and program manager for V8 engines and was responsible for the Corvette Z06’s LS7 engine and the implementation of Active Fuel Management technology for small block engines. After a year in that position, he was appointed managing director of GM Powertrain-Germany GmbH where he led all powertrain operations for the country unit.

Dan earned a BS degree in mechanical engineering from General Motors Institute (now Kettering University), an MS degree in mechanical engineering from Texas A&M University, and an MBA from Stanford University.

He is the President-elect of FISITA, a trustee of the SAE Foundation and a director of the Engineering Society of Detroit.