Schaeffler Vice President and Chief Technical Officer Jeff Hemphill is the new president of SAE International for 2021. Hemphill, whose one-year term officially began on January 20, was elected by the SAE International general membership. 

Hemphill is a 23-year member of SAE International. In addition to serving on the SAE Clutch Standards Committee, he has authored and organized various SAE International technical papers, served on meeting panels, presented at SAE International conferences, and participated in and organized sponsorship of SAE International's North American International Powertrain Conference since its inception.

“SAE has been a constant presence throughout my career,” said Hemphill. “Its mission – to advance mobility knowledge and solutions for the benefit of humanity – is of critical importance during this time of rapid innovation and industry transformation. The opportunity to serve as SAE International president is a tremendous honor for me, and I am looking forward to an exciting year.”

As chief technical officer for Schaeffler in the Americas, Hemphill is responsible for research and new product development for automotive transmission, engine and chassis applications as well as industrial components and systems. To date, Hemphill has had nearly 80 patents filed or issued.

A 31-year veteran of the automotive industry, Hemphill started his career at Schaeffler as a machinist and co-op student while earning a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering from The University of Akron. He also earned an Executive Certificate in Strategy and Innovation from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.