Steve Nettnin

About Steve Nettnin

I am a multi-disciplinary commercial leader who bridges the gap between techincal challenges and bottom-line profitability. With a decade of sales experience and a background in Mechanical Engineering and Engineering Management, I specialize in defining GTM strategy and scaling technical products into high-growth market leaders.Currently, as Head of Sales & Marketing for North America, I oversee a P&L approaching $100M, leading teams to deliver the highest profit margins in our global group. My approach combines rigorous technical market analysis, building new customer relationships, and aggressive commercial strategy whether I\'m navigating international trade policy to recover tariffs or architecting new product pipelines in the EV, Datacenter, and MedTech sectors.What I bring to the table- Commercial Excellence: Expertise in GTM strategy, P&L ownership, and margin protection in highly regulated markets- Technical Roots: Deep knowledge of mechatronics, thermal management, and fluid systems- Global Perspective: Experience bridging German HQ standards with North American market agility.Outside of the office, I am a co-founder of BS Garage, where I merge my engineering background with digital storytelling, wrenching and documenting builds for rallycross and track days.Let’s connect to discuss the future of Electrification, Regionalized Manufacturing, or Scaling Technical Sales Organizations.

Experience

1. Head of Sales & Marketing - North America

   Bühler Motor Buehler Motor

   Sep 2023 — Present · Durham, NC, US

   As the commercial lead for North American operations, I oversee a P&L approaching $100M and direct a cross-functional team across the Automotive Tier 1, Industrial Automation, and MedTech sectors. My focus is on coordinating strategy and execution between our German headquarters and the North American market to realize new business and drive profitability.Key Leadership Pillars- P&L & Commercial Strategy: Hold full responsibility for regional revenue and margin performance, consistently achieving the highest profit margins within the global corporate group through disciplined pricing and cost recovery- Strategic Market Expansion: Architecting the \"Local-for-Local\" and re-shoring roadmap to capture emerging opportunities in EV/Electrification, Datacenters, and Sustainable Infrastructure, with a projected pipeline exceeding $80M through 2030- Global Executive Influence: As a member of the Global Extended Executive Team, I redefine reporting standards and forecasting benchmarks that have been adopted as the corporate standard at our HQ in Germany- Trade & Policy Navigation: Direct the regional response to trade volatility and evolving regulations (USMCA/EPA), leading successful negotiation and recovery efforts to protect margins against shifting tariff landscapes- Team Development: Lead and coach a high-performing team of sales professionals, fostering a culture of technical solution-selling and excellence in customer experience for Fortune 500 accounts, including General Motors- Cross-Functional Integration: Coordinate complex, international product launches by aligning Engineering, Finance, and Supply Chain teams across Germany, Mexico, and the US to ensure Tier N resilience and on-time delivery.

Education

• University of Michigan-Dearborn

  Master of Science (M.S.), Engineering Management

  2013 — 2015

• Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

  Bachelor of Science (B.S.), Mechanical Engineering

  2008 — 2012