Mercedes-Benz has appointed new leaders to oversee technology and supply chain management, the automaker announced on Sept. 24.
Jörg Burzer was named CTO and also will be responsible for the board division of development and procurement, per the release. He will take over for Markus Schäfer who is retiring after three decades with the company. Michael Schiebe will succeed Burzer as a member of the board of management responsible for production, quality and supply chain management. The appointments are effective Dec. 1.
The automaker said the moves are part of its strategy to maintain experience and continuity in top leadership while also rejuvenating board management.
“Two outstanding managers from our own ranks, Jörg Burzer and Michael Schiebe, are taking over key divisions that are of decisive importance for the future success of Mercedes-Benz Group,” Martin Brudermüller, chairman of the supervisory board of Mercedes-Benz Group AG, said in the release.
Brudermüller said Burzer has taken vehicle production at Mercedes-Benz to “a new level with vision, consistency and a clear focus on innovation, flexibility and efficiency.” In his current role, Burzer oversees the automaker’s global production network, which has more than 30 sites. He has been a member of the board of management of Mercedes-Benz AG since 2019 and of Mercedes-Benz Group AG since December 2021
Schiebe brings more than two decades of experience to his new role and through the years has shown an ability to combine “strategic thinking and decisive action with operational excellence,” Brudermüller said.
Schiebe has been CEO of Mercedes-AMG GmbH and head of the top end vehicle group since March 2023. He has been with the automaker since 2004, serving in a variety of executive roles.
Mercedes-Benz said Schiebe’s successor will be named at a later date.
Mercedes-Benz has prioritized improving customer experiences through generative AI to make interactions between drivers and their vehicles more personalized. It also has been working to make its supply chain net-carbon-neutral by 2039 through increasing regionalization of sourcing of battery cells and steel.
