Ricardo has appointed Don Irvine as director of the global vehicle product group and Dr Peter Heuser as director of the global heavy duty diesel product group.

Irvine joins the independent technology provider having recently returned to the UK from Spain where he was overseas programme director for Nissan Europe.

Irvine takes over as director of Ricardo’s global vehicle product group from Bob Allsopp, who will now take managerial responsibility for the running of the Midlands technical centre, one of the company’s largest engineering facilities.

Heuser, a mechanical engineer specialising in combustion engines, obtained his doctorate from the University of Aachen. He subsequently joined FEV where he specialised in areas such as variable valvetrain technology and was promoted to the position of manager for Advanced Engine Components.