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German luxury car maker Mercedes-Benz has appointed Roland S Folger as the managing director and chief executive officer of its India operations. Folger, currently the president & CEO of Mercedes-Benz Malaysia, will replace Eberhard Kern, who will assume a new role for the European market.
Folger, who will take the new responsibility on October 1, 2015, is a Mercedes-Benz veteran for over three decades. After holding several positions in the sales departments for Mercedes-Benz passenger cars and commercial vehicles in the southeast Asian region, he was appointed vice-president for sales, marketing and after sales in the US. Under the leadership of Kern during the past three years, the growth strategy of Mercedes-Benz India has been enhanced including the expansion of the production capacity, as well as a significant extension of the network and the product portfolio. In 2014, Mercedes-Benz India achieved sales history by crossing the five-digit sales number.
Mercedes-Benz now leads the luxury car market in India and also holds the numero uno position in terms of customer satisfaction index score and impeccable brand equity in the luxury car segment in India, according to a statement from the Pune-based company.
Mercedes leads the pack of luxury car companies in India followed by its two German rivals Audi and BMW. On the back of new launches especially in the compact segment, the company beat Audi to reclaim the top spot some months ago.
Kern said: “It was an enriching and a humbling ‘India experience’ for me. After heading India operations for three years, I can confidently state that in my entire three decades of Daimler career, the stint in India remains the most memorable one. The diversity of people, their culture and the unique business opportunity and challenges that India posed is enormous and one of its kind.”
Folger stated: “I’ve worked across various countries and cultures, but have always been fascinated with India as a nation. India’s rich cultural diversity, its people, their varied customs, different languages, diverse topography combined with its status as a rising economic power, makes it one of the most interesting markets to grow business. I feel extremely privileged to head the operations in India, which is an emerging luxury car market in which Mercedes-Benz is the fastest-growing luxury automotive brand.”
