Daimler to Name New R&D Chief?
Daimler AG will announce on Tuesday that Ola Kaellenius, currently in charge of marketing and sales for Mercedes-Benz Cars, will take over as head of the unit’s research and development activities, sources tell Handelsblatt.
Daimler AG will announce on Tuesday that Ola Kaellenius, currently in charge of marketing and sales for Mercedes-Benz Cars, will take over as head of the unit’s research and development activities, sources tell Handelsblatt.
Kaellenius, 46, would replace Thomas Weber, 61, who has headed Mercedes R&D for more than 11 years. The newspaper report doesn’t say whether Weber is leaving the company or who will succeed Kaellenius.
The Swedish-born Kaellenius joined Daimler as a trainee in 1993. By 1995 he was a controller for Daimler’s U.S. plant in Alabama. He became CEO of the company’s U.S. operations in 2009, then managing director of Mercedes-AMG a year later. He was appointed to Daimler management board in January 2015.
Kaellenius is widely considered a likely candidate to succeed Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche. Handelsblatt says Daimler is expected on Tuesday to announce a three-year extension of Zetsche’s contract.
