NORTHVILLE, Mich., Feb. 10, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Gentherm (NASDAQ-GS: THRM), the global market leader and developer of innovative thermal management technologies, today announced that veteran global human resources executive Erin Ascher has been named Vice President-Talent Development and Chief Human Resources Officer, a newly-created position that reports directly to President and CEO Daniel R. Coker. Ascher joined Gentherm on February 5.

Ascher was for the past two years Chief Human Resources Officer at the University of Cincinnati where she enhanced the university's talent acquisition strategies and created a talent development function. Prior to that, from 2010-2012, she was Senior Vice President of Human Resources for Cincinnati-based Omnicare Inc., a Fortune 500 company that provides pharmaceutical services to patients and providers across the U.S. At Omnicare, Ascher led a cultural transformation of the company and helped build its corporate human resources function.

"Erin has the kind of wide ranging human resources experience and expertise we need as we continue to expand our operations and our employee base on a global basis," Coker said. "We have recently opened and staffed a new office in Houston to house our growing mattress and bedding business and GPT, our new industrial and mobile power systems business.

"We are in the planning stages of new offices in Vietnam and Macedonia as well, and already have more than 8,300 employees in 11 countries around the world," Coker added. "We are very excited to have an experienced executive like Erin on our team to help us find the right people and nurture the talent we have on board. We look forward to working closely with her."

Prior to Omnicare, from 1998-2007, Ascher worked in a variety of human resources positions for St. Paul, MN-based Ecolab, a publicly-owned developer and provider of water, hygiene and energy technologies and services. For the final two years at Ecolab she was Vice President Human Resources, Latin America and Asia Pacific.

Ascher is a member of the American Heart Association's Greater Cincinnati Board of Trustees and affiliate level Leadership and Development Committee. She is also a member of the executive team of the United Way of Cincinnati's Women's Leadership Council.

Ascher has B.S.B.A. Management Degree from Miami University in Ohio and a M.S. Personnel and Employee Relations designation from Georgia State University.

Ascher will be based at Gentherm's Northville, MI, headquarters.

About Gentherm

Gentherm (NASDAQ-GS:THRM) is a global developer and marketer of innovative thermal management technologies for a broad range of heating and cooling and temperature control applications. Automotive products include actively heated and cooled seat systems and cup holders, heated and ventilated seat systems, thermal storage bins, heated automotive interior systems (including heated seats, steering wheels, armrests and other components), cable systems and other electronic devices.  The Company's advanced technology team is developing more efficient materials for thermoelectric and systems for waste heat recovery and electrical power generation for the automotive market that may have far-reaching applications for consumer products as well as industrial and technology markets.  Gentherm has more than 8,300 employees in facilities in the U.S., Germany, Mexico, China, Canada, Japan, England, Korea, Malta, Hungary and the Ukraine.  For more information, go to www.gentherm.com.

Except for historical information contained herein, statements in this release are forward-looking statements that are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements include statements regarding future sales, products, opportunities, markets, expenses and profits. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties which may cause the Company's actual results in future periods to differ materially from forecasted results. Those risks include, but are not limited to, risks that sales may not increase, additional financing requirements may not be available, new competitors may arise and adverse conditions in the industry in which the Company operates may negatively affect its results. Those and other risks are described in the Company's annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013 and subsequent reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), copies of which are available from the SEC or may be obtained from the Company. Except as required by law, the Company assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, which are made as of the date hereof, even if new information becomes available in the future.

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SOURCE Gentherm