Mercedes-Benz has named Thomas Klein as the new head of its van business.
Klein, who has held various positions within the company, including vice president sales planning & product management, will succeed Mathias Geisen.
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Klein, is currently the vice president of sales planning and product management of Mercedes Benz Cars and Integrated Production Program in Stuttgart.
He will succeed Mathias Geisen, who is set to join the Board of Management, where he will assume responsibility for sales from 1 March 2025.
Klein’s career with the company began in 1999 at the former DaimlerChrysler.
His journey started at Mercedes-Benz Vans in the Düsseldorf plant and progressed through various roles including marketing specialist at DaimlerChrysler headquarters.
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By GlobalDataHe held various positions within the Mercedes-Benz sales and retail organisation in Germany and South Africa, later leading cross-function sales for the region overseas, overseeing strategic and operational sales across nearly 180 markets.
In 2019, Klein became president and CEO of sales & marketing in Dubai, managing the Mercedes-Benz cars general distributor office in the Middle East, before taking on the role of leading Mercedes-Benz Korea in 2021.
Mercedes‑Benz group chairman of the board of management Ola Källenius said: “Thomas Klein has significantly contributed to the success of our company over decades in numerous sales functions. Thanks to his extensive international experience with market responsibilities in the Middle East, South Korea, South Africa, and Germany, he is an exceptionally experienced manager.
“Thomas is highly regarded as a strong leader, a skilled planner, and a strategic doer. With his entrepreneurial spirit and execution strength, he is the ideal candidate to lead Mercedes‑Benz Vans.”
In October 2024, Mercedes-Benz group reported a 3% decline in sales for Q3 2024, with 594,600 cars and vans sold, compared to the same period in 2023, citing a “challenging environment.”
Despite this, Mercedes-Benz passenger cars saw a quarter-on-quarter increase in sales, benefiting from improved product availability.
However, softer demand, particularly in Asia, impacted overall sales. The company also experienced weaker demand, especially in core markets such as Germany, the US, and China.
