LISLE, Ill. — After much speculation, James Hebe, Navistar senior vice president, North America Sales Operations, is officially retiring, the company announced today.

The announcement comes not long after other corporate level shake-ups at Navistar, which has been re-grouping in order to bring an EPA-compliant engine lineup to market. 

“Jim Hebe has been a significant figure in our industry for four decades,” said Jack Allen, president, Navistar North America Truck and Parts, in a statement. “We have benefited greatly from his many contributions, perhaps none more important than Jim’s passion for developing deep customer relationships, which has become embedded within Navistar’s sales and marketing team. We thank him for his service and wish him the best in retirement.”

Hebe began his career at International Harvester (Navistar’s predecessor) in 1971 as a management trainee in Boston, and later became a heavy truck salesman for International Trucks. After leaving International Harvester, Hebe held leadership roles of increasing responsibility with American LaFrance, Kenworth Truck Company, and Kenworth of Tampa, culminating with his appointment to chairman, president and chief executive officer of Freightliner in 1992.

After leaving Freightliner in 2001, Hebe became head of Seagrave Fire Apparatus, LLC in Clintonville, Wis. He returned to the trucking industry in 2006 when he became dealer principal of Co-Van/Cascadia International, before re-joining Navistar, Inc. two years later in his current role.