Mercedes-Benz Cars Middle East today announced the appointment of Thomas Klein as its new President & CEO, effective on July 1, 2019.
He takes over from Mark De Haes who held the position since May 2015 and whose main achievements were the strengthening of Mercedes-Benz’s market position in the region, leading the company into the era of future mobility and bolstering customer experience offerings with the launch of the revolutionary MAR2020 showrooms in Jeddah and Kuwait City respectively.
Incoming President & CEO Klein has extensive international experience in the automotive industry and will be responsible for all Mercedes-Benz Cars Middle East operations in the region. He will continue to work on growing the sales and services performance across the 13 markets within the Middle East and Levant, and further strengthening the partnerships with all public and private stakeholders in the region, as well as the cooperation between the regional office and the general distributors as priorities of equal importance.
Klein started his career as a Marketing Specialist with DaimlerChrysler at their headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany before he joined the Berlin-based German sales organization as an assistant to the Managing Director Mercedes-Benz Passenger Cars. Since then, Klein has held several senior management roles within Daimler including: Head of Sales-Strategies & Methods, Berlin, Germany; Head of Mercedes-Benz Retail, Wuerzburg, Germany; Managing Director Mercedes-Benz Passenger Cars, Johannesburg, South Africa; and Senior Manager Cross Function Sales , Stuttgart, Germany.
He obtained his MBA from the Leipzig Graduate School of Management, and holds a BA degree from Berlin University of Cooperative Education in Berlin, Germany.
Speaking on his appointment, Thomas Klein, incoming President & CEO of Mercedes-Benz Cars Middle East said, “I am delighted to have joined Mercedes-Benz Cars Middle East at a time where great changes knock on the automotive industry’s doors. Mercedes-Benz has a strong presence in the Middle East, and I look forward to working in a region that has great optimism for the future. In an environment where customer service and impeccable hospitality is paramount, I see my appointment as an incredible opportunity to contribute to the growth of the Mercedes-Benz customer experience for years to come”.
Thomas Klein’s in-depth knowledge of brand, product and dealer development as well as his sales and marketing expertise will help further pave the way for the growth of Mercedes-Benz in the region.