Mercedes-Benz’s chief technology officer, Markus Schäfer, is set to leave the company in May 2026.
His contract won't be extended because he has turned 60, German trade publication Automobilwoche reports; Mercedes’ policy is that employees are offered only rolling one-year renewals from that point on.
Schäfer joined the firm, then called Daimler-Benz, in November 1990 and gradually rose through the ranks. His notable roles have included director of production strategy for Daimler AG between 2007 and 2010; president and CEO of the firm’s plant in Tuscaloosa, Alabama between 2010 and 2013; and CTO since 2021.
He has overseen an especially turbulent period for Mercedes, with the conflict between a legislative push toward EVs and actual customer demand for such models requiring flexibility at all levels of the business.
He has also played a significant role in devising the brand’s ongoing model offensive, which has begun with the new CLA and GLC and is set to continue with a new C-Class and a new GLA next year. All are set to offer a choice between ICE and EV powertrains.
“I have one of the most interesting jobs in the industry,” Schäfer told Autocar earlier this year. “That ranges from Formula 1 responsibilities with [power unit specialist AMG] High Performance Powertrains to overseeing the entire research and development side of Mercedes-Benz Cars, turning ideas into real products of the future."
Automobilwoche added that Mercedes’ board had yet to sign off on Schäfer’s departure but it's expected to be a formality.
Autocar has contacted Mercedes for comment.
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