Mercedes-Benz Cars appoints new sales management in China, USA and Russia.
- Nicholas Speeks will become new CEO of Mercedes-Benz USA and Head of Sales NAFTA Mercedes-Benz Cars.
- Jan Madeja will be Head of the Chinese sales company for passenger cars, Beijing Mercedes-Benz Sales Service.
- Holger Suffel will become CEO of Mercedes-Benz Russia and Head of Sales Mercedes-Benz Cars Russia.
Nicholas Speeks (60), previously Head of sales in China, will be responsible for sales of Mercedes-Benz Cars in the NAFTA region (USA, Canada, Mexico) and becomes CEO of Mercedes-Benz USA on September 1, 2019. Speeks has many years of experience in the sales departments of passenger cars and commercial vehicles and has been working for the company in Japan, Dubai, Vietnam and Germany. Speeks follows Dietmar Exler (51), who leaves the company “at his own request.”
Jan Madeja (51) takes over as Head of Beijing Mercedes-Benz Sales Service Co., Ltd in China on September 1, 2019. Madeja has been in the company for over 20 years. After various positions in Finance and Controlling, he took over as Head of Mercedes-Benz in Poland in 2007. Since 2012, he has been CEO of Mercedes-Benz Russia and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars Sales in Russia.
Madeja´s successor in Russia will be Holger Suffel (59), starting September 1, 2019. Suffel started at the former Daimler-Benz AG in 1981 and held various management positions within the company in Product Marketing, Aftersales and Sales of Mercedes-Benz commercial vehicles, Mercedes-Benz Vans and the Daimler subsidiary EvoBus. Most recently, he oversaw Global Services and Parts Operations at Daimler AG.
Britta Seeger, member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG, responsible for Mercedes-Benz Cars Sales: “With Jan Madeja, Nicholas Speeks and Holger Suffel we have found excellent managers and proven sales experts with many years of experience for our markets China, USA and Russia. I wish them every success with their new tasks. My special thanks goes to Dietmar Exler who leaves our company at his own request. Under his leadership, Mercedes-Benz has been able to maintain its market leadership in the premium segment every year since 2016”, continues Seeger.
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn.
He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe.
Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap.
AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks.
Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
People – Changes at Mercedes-Benz Cars
Mercedes-Benz Cars appoints new sales management in China, USA and Russia.
Nicholas Speeks (60), previously Head of sales in China, will be responsible for sales of Mercedes-Benz Cars in the NAFTA region (USA, Canada, Mexico) and becomes CEO of Mercedes-Benz USA on September 1, 2019. Speeks has many years of experience in the sales departments of passenger cars and commercial vehicles and has been working for the company in Japan, Dubai, Vietnam and Germany. Speeks follows Dietmar Exler (51), who leaves the company “at his own request.”
Jan Madeja (51) takes over as Head of Beijing Mercedes-Benz Sales Service Co., Ltd in China on September 1, 2019. Madeja has been in the company for over 20 years. After various positions in Finance and Controlling, he took over as Head of Mercedes-Benz in Poland in 2007. Since 2012, he has been CEO of Mercedes-Benz Russia and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars Sales in Russia.
Madeja´s successor in Russia will be Holger Suffel (59), starting September 1, 2019. Suffel started at the former Daimler-Benz AG in 1981 and held various management positions within the company in Product Marketing, Aftersales and Sales of Mercedes-Benz commercial vehicles, Mercedes-Benz Vans and the Daimler subsidiary EvoBus. Most recently, he oversaw Global Services and Parts Operations at Daimler AG.
Britta Seeger, member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG, responsible for Mercedes-Benz Cars Sales: “With Jan Madeja, Nicholas Speeks and Holger Suffel we have found excellent managers and proven sales experts with many years of experience for our markets China, USA and Russia. I wish them every success with their new tasks. My special thanks goes to Dietmar Exler who leaves our company at his own request. Under his leadership, Mercedes-Benz has been able to maintain its market leadership in the premium segment every year since 2016”, continues Seeger.
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn. He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe. Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap. AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks. Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.