Dr Martin Zimmermann – President and CEO of Mercedes-Benz South Africa
Dr. Martin Zimmermann has been in the employ of DaimlerChrysler and Daimler AG since 2001, when he joined as Vice President for Product and Production Planning and member of the Executive Committee of the Commercial Vehicles Division. In 2003 he was appointed Vice President Strategic Alliances, responsible for managing the strategic alliances with Mitsubishi Motors and Hyundai Motors.
In 2004, his portfolio widened and he served as Vice President for Strategy, Alliances and Business Innovation for the Daimler Group until 2011. As part of these responsibilities, Martin also supported the build-up of Daimler’s business in China as a member of Daimler’s Executive Board in China in 2004 and 2005, and served as a board member for Daimler India.
Since 2011, Martin took over the responsibility of President & CEO of Mercedes-Benz South Africa. He is also Chairman of the Board of Sandown Motors and a Member of the Board of Mercedes-Benz Financial Services SA.
Prior to joining Daimler, Martin headed Strategy and Business Development at Porsche AG, and worked as Senior Engagement Manager for McKinsey & Company in their Stuttgart and Seoul, Korea offices.
Martin is an engineer by profession and gained a Diploma in Mechanical Engineering from Stuttgart University, a Master of Science in Nuclear Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Boston, USA, and a Ph.D. in Mechatronics from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, Switzerland, where he also served as a lecturer until 1992.
Martin enjoys spending time with his family, as well as outdoor activities such as running, cycling and hiking. He is also a passionate part-time lecturer at the University of St. Gallen in Switzerland in their Master of Entrepreneurial Management programme. He also serves on the Senior Council of the South African German Chamber of Commerce and is a member of the International Management Society.
