Karl Deppen Succeeds Hartmut Schick at Daimler Truck AG

Hartmut Schick (59) is retiring at the end of 2021 after 35 years at Daimler. Karl Deppen (55), currently head of Mercedes-Benz do Brasil, will be appointed to the board of Daimler Truck AG as his successor on December 1, 2021, responsible for Truck China, including the joint venture Beijing Foton Daimler Automotive with the Auman brand, and for the regions of Japan and India with the FUSO and BharatBenz brands.

(Stuttgart) After 35 years in various leadership roles within the Daimler Group, Hartmut Schick (59), a board member of Daimler Truck AG responsible for Daimler Trucks Asia, will retire on December 31, 2021. His successor starting December 1, 2021, will be Karl Deppen (55), who is currently responsible for the Latin America region of Mercedes-Benz Trucks and Buses.

“I would like to sincerely thank Hartmut Schick on behalf of the entire board and supervisory board for his outstanding commitment: Over more than three decades, he has contributed to the successful development of our company in various positions. In particular, as head of our bus division and later as head of Daimler Trucks Asia, Hartmut Schick has shaped our commercial vehicle business with his inclusive and motivating leadership style for more than a decade and has early on focused on emission-free vehicles,” says Martin Daum, Chairman of the Board of Daimler Truck AG and member of the Board of Daimler AG. “At the same time, I am pleased to have Karl Deppen, an internationally experienced manager with strong expertise in the commercial vehicle sector and proven competence in Asia, as his successor.

Experience Across Continents

Karl Deppen knows the global commercial vehicle business from various assignments at different locations. He has successfully launched many projects in Europe, North and South America, and Asia. With this valuable combination of experience and know-how, Karl Deppen is the right fit for our commercial vehicle business in Asia going forward. Together with my management team, I warmly welcome Karl Deppen to the board of Daimler Truck AG.”

Daum continued: “We are already very well positioned in Asia and ready to take the business to the next level: Our goal is to increase profitability and our potential profit contribution for Daimler Truck. We see Asia as the region with the greatest growth prospects in the medium term. Especially in China, where we will open a new chapter with our heavy-duty truck brand Mercedes-Benz ‘made in China for China’ and successfully market the Auman brand with our joint venture Beijing Foton Daimler Automotive and our partner Beiqi Foton Motor.”

About Hartmut Schick

Hartmut Schick joined Daimler-Benz AG in 1986 after completing his mechanical engineering studies in the central research department. After moving to passenger car production, Hartmut Schick worked in the marketing department of DASA in Munich from 1990. In 1993, he took over the management of the main secretariat and the office of the CEO. As head of the planning staff of the CEO of Daimler-Benz AG, Hartmut Schick returned to Stuttgart in 1995. In 1997, he was tasked with establishing the Mercedes-Benz plant in Juiz de Fora (Brazil) as head of production and logistics. In 1999, he led the staff of the CEO of DaimlerChrysler. From 2002, he was head of global communication for the Daimler Group and took over the management of the Daimler Buses business unit in 2009 and the chairmanship of the management of EvoBus GmbH. Since April 2018, Hartmut Schick has been responsible for Daimler Truck’s business in Asia.

About Karl Deppen

Karl Deppen joined the group in 1990 and held various leadership positions in purchasing and logistics until 2007, mostly focusing on commercial vehicles. His career took him for several years to the USA, Turkey, and Japan. There, Karl Deppen was responsible for purchasing and transport logistics at Mitsubishi Fuso. In 2007, he took over the strategic project management for the Mercedes-Benz truck Atego. From 2011 to 2014, Karl Deppen was responsible for global leadership development at Daimler before moving to Daimler Greater China Ltd. in Beijing as CFO. After that, he was responsible for cost controlling at Mercedes-Benz AG. Since May 2020, Karl Deppen has been CEO of Mercedes-Benz do Brazil Ltda. and responsible for the Latin America region of Mercedes-Benz Trucks and Buses.

The successor to Karl Deppen in Brazil will be announced as soon as possible.

Photo: © Daimler Truck