Shelby American Reorganizes Executive Management Team to Meet International Demand

LAS VEGAS -- october 10, 2014: Shelby American, a wholly owned subsidiary of Carroll Shelby International Inc. (CSBI.PK), today announced the reorganization of its executive management team to meet anticipated global demand for its vehicles and parts. CFO Keith Belair will be named chief operating officer, reporting to CEO Joe Conway, while vice president of Shelby Performance Parts Akos Feher will become vice president of operations. Gary Patterson will serve as vice president of Strategic Sales and Media Relations. Keith Criswell will be named director of Shelby Performance Parts and JoAnn Mansell will become controller.

“This multi-year plan will help us deliver even better vehicles and parts much faster to a customer base that stretches from the USA to Asia, South America and Europe. Shelby American is about to write an entirely new chapter in its history.”

“While Shelby American traditionally focused on the North American market, we’ve been transitioning into a global company over the past year,” said Joe Conway, CEO of Shelby American and Co-CEO of Carroll Shelby International. “The first step was to relocate to a facility near the Las Vegas executive airport. Simultaneously, we streamlined our manufacturing processes and began investing in our next generation of product to follow the Ford Mustang worldwide. Now we’re realigning our team to optimize development and production of our class-leading vehicles.”

Keith Belair has served as Shelby American CFO for the past six years. He joined Shelby after serving as CFO at OpX Capital Partners. Prior to his work there, Keith was CFO for XC Networks, the largest private cross border telecommunications company between the U.S. and Mexico. During his time with XC, Keith supported the company’s international operations. Previously, he spent more than a decade in venture capital and automotive vendor finance, in addition to a stint in Tokyo with a subsidiary of the Toyota family of companies.

“As a car enthusiast, I’ve enjoyed being part of the Shelby American team during some of its most successful years,” said Belair. “I look forward to leveraging my experience, both domestically and abroad, to help Shelby expand profitably. This reorganization positions Shelby American perfectly to meet our global ambitions.”

Feher rejoined Shelby American in May 2014 to head up the Shelby Performance Parts division. An experienced engineer, he previously served as the Director of Production and Strategic Planning at Shelby American when the company was building both pre-title and post-title vehicles. He also helped create Shelby Performance Parts and Team Shelby. Feher has extensive experience with international automotive projects.

As vice president of operations, Feher will oversee all current Shelby vehicles production at the Las Vegas facility. He will also manage production, the parts inventory and paint facility. In addition, Feher will direct all R&D as he works directly with Ford Motor Company and Ford Racing on new vehicles.

Gary Patterson has been a key team member at Shelby from the birth of the continuation Cobra to the Series 1 program through the current Mustang and Raptor based vehicles. He joined Shelby in 1996 and has been a vice president at Shelby American since 2005.

In his new role, Patterson will manage corporate communications and a broad range of strategic consumer initiatives and experiences. Leveraging his extensive background with Shelby, he will oversee a variety of programs that interact directly with enthusiasts and the media. Patterson will also play a key role in the oversight of Team Shelby for Shelby American. He will report to Mr. Conway and provide day-to-day support to Mr. Belair.

Aftermarket veteran Keith Criswell has been managing the wholesale department in the Shelby Performance Parts division. Joann Mansell has been accounting manager for the past several years. Both will be promoted into their new roles on October 10.

“Just like Carroll Shelby did throughout his leadership of the company, we’re placing talented people in positions where they can have the maximum impact on our business,” said Conway. “This multi-year plan will help us deliver even better vehicles and parts much faster to a customer base that stretches from the USA to Asia, South America and Europe. Shelby American is about to write an entirely new chapter in its history.”