Dieter Zetsche is to step down from his position as chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and head of Mercedes-Benz Cars in 2019 ahead of a move to the Supervisory Board.

Zetsche will replace Manfred Bischoff

He will be succeeded in his current roles by Ola Källenius, who has held the role of Member of the Board of Management for Group Research and Mercedes-Benz Cars Development since January 2017. He in turn will be succeeded by Markus Schäfer who was appointed to the divisional board of management of Mercedes-Benz Cars in January 2014 and has been responsible for Production and Supply Chain Management since then.

Zetsche leaves his position ahead of a move to become chairman of the Daimler Supervisory Board in 2021 in line with the requisite two-year cooling off period. He succeeds Manfred Bischoff.

Michael Brecht, deputy chairman of the Supervisory Board of Daimler AG and chairman of the General Works Council of Daimler AG, said: “With today’s resolutions and recommendations, the Supervisory Board has made powerful and good decisions. On the one hand, we are making the Board of Management of Daimler AG younger and thus giving it new impetus. On the other hand, by recommending the election of Dieter Zetsche to the Supervisory Board, the successful and trusting cooperation with him will be continued. In the Supervisory Board, we will continue to support the transformation into a mobility company, thus securing the successful course of the Daimler Group.”