Daimler Truck AG has announced significant changes to its management structure ahead of the spin-off and separate listing planned for late 2021. To accelerate the pace of technological development and to better serve the needs of its customers in each region, Daimler Truck AG has decided to realign its business structure. The reorganization will see more entrepreneurial freedom and greater product development responsibility given to regional operating units and brands.

“The new business structure gives Daimler Trucks & Buses the best of both worlds: Maximum customer proximity and entrepreneurship in our regions and maximum, focused engineering power for future technologies,” said Martin Daum, CEO of Daimler Truck AG.

This means that the operating units and brands, which are globally active in the most important sales regions of North America (Freightliner, Western Star, Thomas Built Buses), Europe & Latin America (Mercedes-Benz Trucks) and Asia (FUSO & BharatBenz), will be given more entrepreneurial independence and room to manoeuvre in the future.

Going forward, decision-making authority and the necessary product development resources will be organized alongside the respective Daimler Truck brands in the regions. This will include the chief engineer functions for the entire vehicle development, previously structurally anchored in the central development of Daimler Trucks & Buses, being assigned to the corresponding regions. This is designed to allow vehicle brands such as Freightliner in North America, Mercedes-Benz Trucks in Europe and Latin America, FUSO in Asia to deliver the best possible product and service offering for their customers.

Given the increased speed towards CO2-neutral transportation and the accelerating development of software and connectivity, Daimler Truck AG is bringing together all essential technology and powertrain activities into one division, the Truck Technology Group (TT). This will be headed by Dr. Andreas Gorbach, 45, and a global competence centre for research, development and production for all future powertrain technologies (combustion engine, battery electric and fuel cell) will be created. In addition, TT will be responsible for vehicle software, electrics/ electronics and global purchasing. These changes not only make it possible to economically scale differentiating technologies through broad use in all regions, but also to leverage global synergies, Daimler Truck said in a statement.

“Dr. Andreas Gorbach is a proven leader with broad experience in both conventional and zero-emission powertrains. He is the perfect match for the new Truck Technology Group Board of Management position. Andreas Gorbach is currently CEO of the fuel cell joint venture cellcentric with the Volvo Group and has largely contributed to Daimler Truck AG’s success in making hydrogen drive systems ready for series production,” said Daum.

Sven Ennerst, previously responsible for Development, Purchasing and Region China, will continue as general representative for China until the end of the year, fully focussed on this important market for Daimler Trucks. Dr. Frank Reintjes, previously responsible for the Global Powertrain division, will accompany the realignment of Daimler Truck AG as a senior executive advisor to the CEO until the end of the year. Both executives will retire at the end of the year.

“I would like to sincerely thank my both esteemed colleagues Sven Ennerst and Frank Reintjes for their extraordinary dedication and contribution to Daimler Truck AG. Over decades, they both shaped significantly their respective areas of responsibility. Frank Reintjes in creating a highly performing global Powertrain entity. Sven Ennerst in creating a global product portfolio with industry leading technology in safety and efficiency. Both have had significant impact on our successes within their respective areas,” said Daum.

Daimler Truck AG is one of the world’s largest commercial vehicle manufacturers, with more than 35 primary locations around the world and approximately 100,000 employees. The company brings together seven vehicle brands under one roof: Mercedes-Benz (light, medium and heavy trucks as well as city, intercity and touring coaches) and Setra (intercity, long-distance and premium coaches) are its traditional European brands; its U.S. brands Freightliner Trucks (trucks in weight classes 5 to 8 for a wide range of commercial vehicle applications), Western Star (heavy trucks for specialized and long-haul transports) and Thomas Built Buses (light to medium-duty buses); and its Asian brands BharatBenz, based in Chennai, India (trucks in the weight classes 10 to 55 t and medium and heavy-duty buses) and FUSO with its headquarters in Japan (trucks and buses for Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Europe and Latin America). This allows Daimler Truck AG  to offer its customers around the globe a broad spectrum of commercial vehicles, ranging from minibuses to heavy-duty trucks for special-purpose transport applications.