UPDATE: Bernhard Quits at Daimler

Wolfgang Bernhard, who headed Daimler AG’s truck and bus business for the past three years, has quit the management board and left the company.

A Der Spiegel report on Thursday said Bernhard intended to quit rather than renew his contract a year from now. Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche will run the division until the company finds a successor.

Bernhard, 56, was a rising star at Daimler and considered a likely successor to Zetsche. Bernhard took over as head of Mercedes-Benz Vans in 2009 and joined Daimler’s management board the following year.

A Reuters report on Thursday suggested Bernhard lost interest in Daimler after concluding he was unlikely to be named CEO when Zetsche retires at the end of 2019.

Separately, Daimler’s supervisory board announced a three-year extension for Ola Kallenius, the board’s head of group research and Mercedes-Benz Cars product development. Kallenius, 47, is considered a strong candidate to succeed Zetsche.