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Dive Brief:
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Daimler truck appointed Eva Scherer, longtime executive of German industrial giant Siemens, as its new CFO, for a three-year term until March 31, 2027. She will be responsible for finance and control and has also been appointed to the company’s board of directors, the company announced Thursday.
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One of the world’s largest truck makers, Germany-based Daimler Truck’s top financial position has been left vacant after Jochen Goetz died unexpectedly last summer of complications arising from a wasp sting. Martin Daum, Daimler’s chairman of the board, has taken on the role on an interim basis.
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“The position of Chief Financial Officer is tragically vacant. After an intensive selection process, the Supervisory Board has now filled the position,” said Joe Kaeser, chairman of Daimler’s supervisory board, in a statement contained in the company’s press release.
Dive Insight:
Scherer’s appointment marks a new chapter for Daimler’s C-suite, which was rocked in August by Goetz’s sudden death.
In a personal social media post after Goetz’s death, Kaeser told a story of a wasp that landed on his plate during a birthday meal with his daughter. Instead of pushing the insect away, “I started thinking about how such a small insect could kill a strong man, a loving father and an excellent manager. Jochen Goetz was killed by such an insect,” the former head of Siemens Energy AG wrote on LinkedIn.
In the company’s announcement Thursday, Kaeser and Michael Brecht, deputy chairman of the supervisory board, both emphasized Scherer’s personal qualities. “In addition to professional expertise, we placed particular emphasis on open-mindedness, diversity, potential and enthusiasm for driving change. Eva Scherer has shown these characteristics convincingly,” Kaeser said in the statement.
For his part, Brecht said in the release that Scherer “convinced me to see herself as a true team player. We need this attitude at Daimler Truck. Because we can only master the historic transformation of our industry if management and employee representatives work together in confidence.”
The appointment of Scherer, 40, will take effect on April 1, according to a Daimler spokesman who declined to comment on the cause of death of Geotz, 52, calling it a “tragic incident.”
In her own LinkedIn post, Scherer said she had worked for Siemens for more than 20 years and was grateful for “everything this incredible company has made possible.” He also said that sustainable transport is “an issue that has been close to my heart for a long time” and that he will contribute to it in a “new capacity”.
At Siemens, Scherer has been EVP and global head of investor relations since October 2022 and previously held positions such as CFO, Mobility Software and CFO, Rail Infrastructure, according to her LinkedIn profile.
In November, Daimler reported a “slight drop’ in sales volumes compared to the previous year, which was mainly attributed to “supplier congestion,” according to the company’s earnings release. At the same time, the company’s group revenue rose 3% in the third quarter to 13.9 billion euros from 13.5 billion euros year-on-year.