WARRENVILLE, Ill. (April 23, 20030 — Navistar International Corp.’s truck group president Steve Keate has left the company.

Navistar spokesperson Roy Wiley said he could not provide a reason why Keate resigned, but confirmed that the company’s engine group president and CEO Daniel Ustian has assumed operating responsibility temporarily for the truck division, effective immediately. “I would assume at some point in time, not necessarily in the near future, the company will appoint (a long-term) president.”

During Keate’s tenure, Navistar’s operating company launched the industry’s first high- performance truck line, and Keate led the development of the company’s five- point truck strategy, a news release said.

International Truck and Engine, which recently announced it will close its Chatham, Ont. truck assemble plant on July 18, is a leading producer of mid-range diesel engines, medium trucks, heavy trucks, severe service vehicles, and bus chassis.