Each week, trucknews.com lists notable events, promotions and awards in the trucking industry.

This week, TFI International announced André Bérard will retire from the board, and Diane Giard will assume the role of lead director. Kodiak AI has appointed Chet Gryczan as vice president and managing director of defense, while Stephanie Wilkinson has joined PrePass as chief customer officer. ContiTech has appointed Jim Hill as vice president of distribution for its Industrial Solutions Americas (IAM) business area.

And Mullen Group named Cascade Energy Services the winner of its 2025 Grand Prize Safety Award.

TFI director Bérard to retire; Giard named lead director

TFI International announced that long-serving independent director André Bérard will retire from the board following the company’s annual meeting on April 27.

Bérard, who has served on the board for 23 years, has stepped down as lead director but will remain a board member until the annual meeting.

The company also announced that current board member Diane Giard will assume the role of lead director. She has served as an independent director since 2018 and is a member of the audit committee.

She was a former executive vice president of the National Bank of Canada and senior vice president of Scotiabank. Giard also serves on the board of Bombardier.

Kodiak AI appoints Gryczan to lead its defense division

Kodiak AI has appointed Chet Gryczan as vice president and managing director of defense.

Gryczan will lead Kodiak’s defense vertical, overseeing strategy, customer engagement and program execution as the company expands Kodiak Driver – its AI-powered autonomous driving system — into military applications.

Gryczan brings more than two decades of experience building and leading defense and automotive programs, the company said. Most recently, he served as president of Detroit Defense, an engineering and systems integration firm serving the U.S. military and defense contractors. During his tenure, he led the company’s growth from a startup into a $157-million annual revenue business and oversaw a workforce of more than 230 employees.

Kodiak said Gryczan has directed multi-hundred-million-dollar defense programs, including helping secure a multi-year $500-million congressional modernization initiative.

ContiTech appoints Hill vice president of distribution for Americas

ContiTech has appointed Jim Hill as vice president of distribution for its Industrial Solutions Americas (IAM) business area. Hill previously served as vice president of marketing and strategy within the same division.

He will oversee distribution efforts across the region, focusing on strengthening relationships with customers and distribution partners.

Hill joined ContiTech in 2015. Prior to that, he held management positions at The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company and later senior executive roles at Goodyear Engineered Products, which became Veyance Technologies and is now part of ContiTech.

PrePass welcomes Wilkinson as CCO

Stephanie Wilkinson has joined PrePass as chief customer officer (CCO). She will l oversee all customer-facing functions, including onboarding, implementation, support, customer success and renewals.

Wilkinson brings more than 25 years of leadership experience in customer support and operations within SaaS and technology organizations. Most recently, she served as CCO at Simpro, where she led customer journey initiatives and revenue growth efforts.

Prior to that, she held senior leadership roles at Adobe, including vice president of customer success and sales for Adobe’s digital experience business. She joined Adobe through its acquisition of Magento, where she led global technical support and customer success teams.

Max-Atlas names Evans EVP of business development

Max-Atlas has appointed Ben Evans as executive vice president of business development.

Evans will work with Stéphane Guérin, the company’s president and CEO, and Trevor Ash, executive vice president and chief commercial officer. He brings nearly a decade of experience in business development, strategic sales, marketing, contract management and organizational growth.

Prior to joining the company, Evans spent five years at CEI Manufacturing – most recently as executive vice president – and nearly seven years as business solutions manager at Railinc Corp.

Mullen Group announces 2025 Grand Prize Safety Award winner

Mullen Group has named Calgary, Alta.-based Cascade Energy Services the winner of its 2025 Grand Prize Safety Award, recognizing top performance in health, safety and environmental (HSE) standards across its business units.

The annual internal audit evaluates each business unit’s performance in 10 areas, including leadership and accountability; employee, contractor selection, training development and documentation; regulatory compliance; risk management; facilities and equipment; emergency preparedness, incident investigation and reporting procedures; and overall HSE performance.

To qualify for the award, business units must achieve strong audit scores across all categories and meet corporate safety benchmarks, including total recordable injuries below four, lost-time claims below one, and a gross claims-to-revenue ratio below one.

Cascade Energy Services was selected from five finalists, with the other four being Mullen Oilfield Services, Payne Transportation, Canadian Dewatering and Heavy Crude Hauling.