Daimler AG and its Mercedes-Benz division won’t have Dieter Zetsche at the helm for much longer. The mustachioed, jeans-loving chief executive, who’s headed the automaker since 2000, leaves the position in May, the automaker announced Wednesday.
Dr. Z isn’t leaving the company — come May, the 65-year-old will accept the role of chairman of the group’s supervisory board. Occupying Zetsche’s former position as head of Daimler and the Mercedes-Benz brand will be the first non-German CEO in the company’s exceptionally long history.
Ola Källenius, a Swedish national, currently serves as group research chief and development head for Mercedes-Benz. Joining the automaker in 1993, the 49-year-old Kaellenius eventually found himself in charge of sales for the Mercedes-Benz division. He later served as head of the automaker’s AMG performance sub-brand before stepping into the role of development chief in 2016. Källenius joined the board of management in 2015.
Zetsche won’t take on the chairman role immediately, but company policy requires him to step down as CEO following the annual shareholders’ meeting to start a two-year cooling off period. The longtime boss officially replaces Dr. Manfred Bischoff in the chairman seat once his five-year term ends in May, 2021.
“As a long-standing member of the Board of Management and Chairman of the Board of Management, Dieter Zetsche has played a key role in shaping Daimler AG and has ensured its strategically outstanding positioning for the mobility of the future. His expertise and experience are extremely valuable for our company,” said Bischoff in a statement. “Dieter Zetsche is predestined also to lead the company’s Supervisory Board prudently and successfully.”
As for Dr. Z’s successor, Bischoff, not surprisingly, had nothing but praise. “In Ola Källenius, we are appointing a recognized, internationally experienced and successful Daimler executive as Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars.”
Zetsche backed that up, saying, “In various positions at Daimler, Ola Källenius has earned not only my respect, but also the recognition of his colleagues in very diverse areas. At the same time, he contributes a valuable international perspective.”
The hiring of Källenius and the relaxing of rigid, quintessentially German management norms at the automaker is a strategic move. Daimler wants to become more nimble, more modern, and better able to turn on a dime to capitalize on the opportunities of a changing automotive landscape. The rise of electrification and autonomy requires it. To this end, Zetsche began bringing more voice, and funding, to lower-level employees — those typically suppressed by cumbersome upper management (unless they submitted a fully fleshed-out plan).
Speaking to Reuters, Juergen Pieper, an analyst at Bankhaus Metzler, said, “Kaellenius can certainly ‘sell’ a new era better than alternative candidates could have.”
Other changes are afoot at Daimler. Wilko Stark, head of Daimler and Mercedes-Benz strategy, becomes head of Mercedes-Benz procurement and supplier quality on October 1st. Sajjad Khan, current head of digital vehicle and mobility, takes control of Daimler’s connected autonomous and electric vehicle architecture organization.
Given the rising importance of the automaker’s AMG sub-brand, Tobias Moers, CEO of Mercedes-AMG GmbH, will report directly to the head of Mercedes-Benz Cars. All appointments are effective October 1st.
[Image: Daimler AG]
Is this what passes for diversity in corporate Germany these days? Why not give a person of color a chance – perhaps one of the recent immigrants from the Middle-East or Africa. What could be a better demonstration of integration into into German society than to make one CEO of Mercedes? Furthermore, many have experience that might bring explosive results – praise be to Allah.
While watching the presentation on the new Mercedes-Benz User Experience system, us, the viewers, were introduced to one of the brains behind the system, who appears to be an Indian gentleman.
Skip to 16:30.
Where did the Youtube video link go?
Sting;
I m shocked no one has called you RACIST yet.
But in truth, if you ask someone in HR and they are honest. They d tell you, while race/gender isnt the first thing they look at, it is 2nd or 3rd.
apple – actually I have been called racist many times, but resorting to name calling only means the name caller has no legitimate counter-argument. As for HR, you must have different industry experience than I do, because all the HR departments I deal with have race/gender as their top priority, followed closely by leftist political leanings/wokeness, and then talent and experience a poor third or fourth.
HR is useless.
In larger organizations, if ran by competent people (read STEM people, AKA people who can read), HR can be an asset.
But mostly, like most jobs (aka makework) in financialized dystopias, its only function is to ensure compliance with arbitrary edicts emanating from the Junta.
Källenius, a.k.a. “Mr. Excitement”, is just what the brand needs. He’s rumored to have once put a lampshade on his head at a party, what a crazy nut! You never know what those Swedes will get up to!
:D :D :D
A proper, post WW2 German, have learned to never be crazy enough to engage in skits involving lampshades…… These Swedes really are daring!!
Dieter sure helped bring the brand back on track after Mr. Schrimp (real name Jurgen Schremp or Schrempp) took them down the wrong path. For that Mr. Z dieserves a round of applause and some credit.
I remember Dr Z shilling for Dodge trucks and goofy Jeep Commanders on American TV commercials.
Talk about a fish out of water.
Doc Z is one of the nicest, smartest (very humbly), most righteous person ps I’ve ever met, and had the distinct pleasure of getting to know.
I’ve been to several social events at his former home in Oakland County, or put together for him or by him (and his late, amazingly gracious wife) at numerous restaurants or banquet facilities.
He is the kind of guy who constructively mentored many younger engineers and execs, no conditions attached, out of the goodness of his heart.
Also, his late wife, Gisela Zetsche, who passed away in 2010, was an incredibly gracious and warm person, and her passing cut a huge chunk out of Dr. Z’s soul, for reasons obvious to anyone who knew her.
I’ve rarely met nicer, more hospitable, more generous, more decent people in my years on this earth.
I have nothing really to add here, just that seeing Dr. Manfred Bischoff’s name keeps reminding me of the Gunter Bischoff character in Neal Stephenson’s book Cryptonomicon, and that makes me laugh.