Mercedes-Benz Korea Appoints Matthias Beitl as New CEO

Mercedes-Benz Korea announced on the 31st that it has appointed Mathias Vaitl, head of the Mercedes me (me) Digital Services and E-commerce division, as its new CEO. His term will begin in September.

The current CEO, Thomas Klein, will move to the German headquarters as head of product management and sales for the passenger car division. He is scheduled to be promoted and take office on July 1. Since assuming the CEO position at Mercedes-Benz Korea in January 2021, Klein has been recognized for faithfully implementing Mercedes-Benz Korea’s luxury and electrification strategies.

In 2022, he led the company to achieve a record annual sales of 80,000 units for the first time, and last year, Mercedes-Benz Korea’s electric vehicle sales grew more than eightfold compared to two years ago. Sales of top-end vehicles doubled during the same period. He initiated and promoted online sales of new and certified pre-owned cars, and enhanced customer experience in the sales and after-sales digital sectors.

CEO Klein expressed, “I deeply appreciate the passionate enthusiasm and loyalty of Korean customers toward the Mercedes-Benz brand. Going forward, I will continue to communicate closely with the Korean market and provide full support to ensure that the high-level needs of Korean customers are well conveyed to headquarters.”

Matthias Beitl, New CEO of Mercedes-Benz Korea
[Photo by Benz Korea]

Incoming CEO Vaitl is an automotive industry strategist with extensive experience in digital services, sales, customer service, and network development across various countries including Germany, China, and the Czech Republic. Since 2020, he has been responsible for strengthening digital services for Mercedes-Benz vehicles and expanding mobile experiences at the German headquarters.

Vaitl studied Automotive Industry and International Business at N?rtingen-Geislingen University (HfWU) in Germany. He began his career with Mercedes-Benz Group in 2005 by working on dealer network development at the Czech subsidiary.

In 2011, he moved to China, where he oversaw organizational training and dealership certification, as well as warranty, goodwill, and service contracts. From 2015, he managed after-sales service sales and product management at the German headquarters, and from 2018, he took on the important role of overseeing global training. Since 2020, he has been leading the Mercedes me Digital Services and E-commerce division.

New CEO Vaitl said, “I am pleased and excited to take on the role of CEO in Korea, the world’s fourth-largest market and a trendsetter. I will focus on listening to the needs of Korean customers and work closely with Mercedes-Benz Korea’s employees and dealers to enhance customer satisfaction and continue the success story.”