Germany’s Daimler AG will alter the responsibility for its global truck-making subsidiary on April 1, putting Wolfgang Bernhard – previously head of operations at Daimler’s Mercedes-Benz Cars division – in charge of Daimler Trucks while moving former chief executive Andreas Renschler over to handle production and purchasing of Mercedes-Benz Passenger Cars & Mercedes-Benz Vans.
“Wolfgang Bernhard and Andreas Renschler are two highly experienced members of Daimler … [and] with this change, they will both be able to utilize their management know-how from their previous responsibilities within in their new functions, thus expanding their own expertise in all automobile areas,” noted Manfred Bischoff, a member of Daimler board of management, in a statement.
The company noted that Andreas Renschler has been a member of Daimler AG’s board and head of Daimler Trucks since October 1, 2004, with Wolfgang Bernhard a fellow board member who has served as head of operations t Mercedes-Benz Cars since February 18, 2010.
Renschler’s tenure at Daimler Trucks included several critical milestones, from successfully weathering a major downswing in truck sales during the Great Recession as well as shuttering its Sterling Trucks brand in the U.S. to the revitalization of its Detroit Diesel engine division – a division subsequently renamed simple “Detroit” as it came to encompass transmissions and axles as well.
Daimler AG’s board also passed a unanimous resolution to extend the contract of service of Dieter Zetsche, chairman and head of Mercedes-Benz Cars, until December 31, 2016, with a similar extension given to Thomas Weber, head of group research and Mercedes-Benz Cars development, s the terms of both executives were set to expire in December this year.
“The long-term orientation of the group’s leadership is an essential factor for Daimler’s sustained success,” Bischoff added. “With today’s extensions of the contracts of Dieter Zetsche and Thomas Weber, we are maintaining the important continuity at the top executive level.”