With effect from 1 July 2015, Zhou Liang (48) will succeed Wu Yuejun (52) and become the new president and CEO of Beijing Foton Daimler Automotive (BFDA), the 50/50 joint venture between Daimler and truck manufacturer Foton.
The joint venture produces and distributes Auman brand trucks in and primarily for China.
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“With the appointment of Zhou Liang, Daimler is focusing on local know how and a profound understanding of the market,” the German automaker said in a statement. “Zhou Liang has been with Daimler since April 2014, and before that worked for seven years as the managing director of a Sino-European commercial vehicle joint venture. He started his career within the automobile industry at Foton.”
“Zhou Liang has extensive experience in the Chinese commercial vehicle business and understands exactly what the market and customers want. He has all the attributes to successfully develop our truck business in the largest market in the world,” said Wolfgang Bernhard, head of Daimler Trucks and Buses.
Hubertus Troska, the Daimler executive responsible for China, added: “The appointment of Zhou Liang shows our commitment of building the management team in our key market China with experienced local management talents. In a highly regional diversified business, we will undoubtedly benefit from his proven know-how and expertise.”
BFDA is run by a Sino-German management team. The executive management of the joint venture is comprised of equal numbers of representatives from Foton and Daimler.
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By GlobalData“My goal is to further connect the great experience of Daimler Trucks as the world’s leading truck manufacturer with Foton’s deep understanding of the market. In this way our Chinese customers will benefit through even stronger products in future,” said Zhou Liang.
Besides Zhou Liang, the other Daimler members of the BFDA board are Harald Hauke (production), Markus Schwill (quality) and Jens Hamester (R&D). Foton’s members handle finance, procurement, HR, sales and marketing.
Daimler’s trucks and buses division has a two-pronged strategy in China: as part of the BFDA joint venture, Daimler together with Foton has been manufacturing medium- and heavy-duty Auman trucks since July 2012 for the volume segment, primarily in China. The legally independent company Daimler Trucks and Buses China (DTBC) imports and sells Mercedes-Benz trucks for the premium segment.
As the new DTBC president and CEO, Rainer Gaertner (49), currently head of Daimler Trucks Korea, will succeed Robert Veit (47) on 1 July 2015, who will become director Mercedes-Benz truck overseas in Germany.
