In a first, Merc appoints local to head India business – Times of India
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NEW DELHI: German luxury giant Mercedes-Benz is appointing an Indian for the first time to head its domestic operations, making it an all-Indian affair in the luxury car industry with locals steering operations at all top companies.
As Santosh Iyer is set to become the MD & CEO of Mercedes India from January next year, the management in companies such as BMW, Audi, Jaguar Land Rover and Volvo are already being headed by Indians, this being the first such instance.
While the operations at Audi India are headed by Balbir Singh Dhillon (Brand Head), Volvo’s Indian business is managed by Jyoti Malhotra (MD), JLR by Rohit Suri (president & MD), and BMW by Vikram Pawah (president and CEO).
But while luxury car companies have backed locals to head their operations, the mass car companies still opt for expats when it comes to leadership. Companies such as Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai, Toyota, and Honda are all headed by foreign nationals, though locals head key critical support functions such as sales, procurement, after-sales, and dealer development.
For Mercedes, this will be the first time in the brand’s three-decade-plus journey when an Indian takes charge of the business. The 46-year-old Iyer has been a veteran of the Indian auto industry, having worked with companies such as Toyota, Ford and Yamaha previously.
Iyer has worked for Mercedes since 2009, and will take charge as the company’s India head from January 1 next year when incumbent Martin Schwenk moves out to take charge of Mercedes-Benz Thailand.
“As the company transitions into an exciting future with emerging mobility trends and unending possibilities, I am thoroughly convinced Mercedes-Benz will achieve new heights with the passion, vision and dynamic leadership that Santosh drives in. His contribution to the brand’s success story in India has been truly remarkable and his exemplary leadership will steer the company successfully into the future,” Schwenk said.
Iyer, who was responsible in the rollout of the company’s ‘retail of the future’ sales concept and is currently the VP for Sales & Marketing, said that business is expected to grow strongly in the coming time as India moves towards electrification.
“Mercedes-Benz is at the cusp of transitioning to an exciting, electrified future and it is a privilege for me to steer the brand, introduce emerging trends and continue to define new benchmarks for our customers,” he said.
Speaking on his elevation, he said that Mercedes-Benz has nurtured a culture of meritocracy and promoting talent. “I am happy that’s one of the key criteria. Many of my Indian colleagues are working across international markets, and this is a testimony that Mercedes-Benz India is an international and diverse organization.”
As Santosh Iyer is set to become the MD & CEO of Mercedes India from January next year, the management in companies such as BMW, Audi, Jaguar Land Rover and Volvo are already being headed by Indians, this being the first such instance.
While the operations at Audi India are headed by Balbir Singh Dhillon (Brand Head), Volvo’s Indian business is managed by Jyoti Malhotra (MD), JLR by Rohit Suri (president & MD), and BMW by Vikram Pawah (president and CEO).
But while luxury car companies have backed locals to head their operations, the mass car companies still opt for expats when it comes to leadership. Companies such as Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai, Toyota, and Honda are all headed by foreign nationals, though locals head key critical support functions such as sales, procurement, after-sales, and dealer development.
For Mercedes, this will be the first time in the brand’s three-decade-plus journey when an Indian takes charge of the business. The 46-year-old Iyer has been a veteran of the Indian auto industry, having worked with companies such as Toyota, Ford and Yamaha previously.
Iyer has worked for Mercedes since 2009, and will take charge as the company’s India head from January 1 next year when incumbent Martin Schwenk moves out to take charge of Mercedes-Benz Thailand.
“As the company transitions into an exciting future with emerging mobility trends and unending possibilities, I am thoroughly convinced Mercedes-Benz will achieve new heights with the passion, vision and dynamic leadership that Santosh drives in. His contribution to the brand’s success story in India has been truly remarkable and his exemplary leadership will steer the company successfully into the future,” Schwenk said.
Iyer, who was responsible in the rollout of the company’s ‘retail of the future’ sales concept and is currently the VP for Sales & Marketing, said that business is expected to grow strongly in the coming time as India moves towards electrification.
“Mercedes-Benz is at the cusp of transitioning to an exciting, electrified future and it is a privilege for me to steer the brand, introduce emerging trends and continue to define new benchmarks for our customers,” he said.
Speaking on his elevation, he said that Mercedes-Benz has nurtured a culture of meritocracy and promoting talent. “I am happy that’s one of the key criteria. Many of my Indian colleagues are working across international markets, and this is a testimony that Mercedes-Benz India is an international and diverse organization.”
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