Mercedes-Benz Group has announced changes to its board of management as part of a broader transformation strategy aimed at addressing challenges in the business environment.

By 2025, the company will see the departure of board members Sabine Kohleisen, Renata Jungo Brüngger, and Hubertus Troska as they retire upon the expiration of their contracts.

The move comes amid broader cost-cutting initiatives, with Mercedes-Benz announcing in November plans to reduce expenses by several billion euros in response to a deteriorating business landscape.

Sabine Kohleisen, who has served as the board member for human resources and labour director, has opted not to extend her contract, which expires at the end of 2025.

Kohleisen will step down earlier than planned, on 30 April 2025, to facilitate the next phase of leadership change.

Her successor, Britta Seeger, currently responsible for marketing & sales, will take over HR and labour from 1 March 2025.

Mercedes-Benz Group supervisory board chairman Martin Brudermüller commented: "Sabine Kohleisen has filled her role as board member for human relations and labour director extremely successfully and professionally and has played a decisive role in shaping many of the company's future-oriented decisions.

“The supervisory board sincerely thanks Sabine Kohleisen for her successful work and her willingness to contribute to the new structure of the board of management. I am particularly pleased that Britta Seeger, after seven successful years as board member for marketing & sales, will take on the extremely important role of board member for human relations and labour director for the transformation of Mercedes-Benz.

“With her broad experience and high personal credibility, she will significantly shape and drive further necessary changes in our company within the context of a globally changing automotive industry.

“With Mathias Geisen, we are appointing a skilled strategist and internationally experienced product and sales expert to the board of management, who has recently demonstrated his abilities at Mercedes-Benz Vans. The supervisory board is very much looking forward to further collaboration with both of them."

In addition, Mercedes-Benz is strengthening its leadership with the appointments of Mathias Geisen, Oliver Thöne, and Olaf Schick.

Geisen, currently head of the Mercedes-Benz Vans division, will join the board of management on 1 February 2025, and will take charge of the Marketing & Sales division starting in March 2025.