Having led DaimlerChrysler’s worldwide commercial vehicles division through a successful restructuring, Eckhard Cordes has been named to head the company’s Mercedes Car Group. The company’s commercial vehicle operations went from a posted operating loss of $413.7 million (343 Euros) in 2002 to an operating profit of over $1 billion (855 Euros) last year.
Cordes’ truck duties will be taken over by Andreas Renschler, according to an announcement by the company’s supervisor board in Stuttgart, Germany. Renschler has been heading DC’s Smart Car division.
Appointed to head DC’s truck businesses in 2000, Cordes is credited with overseeing reorganization of Freightliner and the company’s other North American truck operations, including Sterling, Western Star and Detroit Diesel. Just last Friday, Freightliner president & CEO Rainer Schmueckle reported that North American sales had contributed significantly to a 36% second quarter revenue increase for DC’s commercial vehicles divisions (Freightliner CEO Reports Strong Results http://fleetowner.com/ar/fleet_freightliner_ceo_reports/index.htm)
