Mercedes-Benz India has announced that Lance Bennett will take over as vice president, Sales and Marketing, from February 1, 2023. Bennett currently serves as general manager and company director at Mercedes-Benz, New Zealand, and is responsible for Sales, Marketing and Aftersales Support for Passenger Cars. Bennett succeeds Santosh Iyer who was recently elevated to managing director and CEO of Mercedes-Benz India, effective January 1, 2023.
- Bennett to take on the role from February 1, 2023
- He started his career with Mercedes-Benz New Zealand
Martin Schwenk, MD and CEO of Mercedes-Benz India, said Bennett successfully grew the Mercedes-AMG business in New Zealand and oversaw the implementation of ‘Retail of the Future’. Schwenk, after a successful four-year stint in India, will take over as president and CEO of Mercedes-Benz Thailand in January.
At Mercedes-Benz New Zealand, Bennett launched the EQ range of vehicles, growing the segment significantly in the country over the past two years. Bennett also oversaw the implementation of Mercedes-Benz’s direct-to-consumer business model, which focuses on providing customers with transparent pricing, access to a national stock pool of vehicles, and the option to purchase vehicles online.
Bennett began his career with Mercedes-Benz New Zealand in 2005 as a management accountant. He has held several senior positions within the automotive industry, spanning finance, sales, operations and product management, including postings in the USA and Australia. He rejoined Mercedes-Benz New Zealand in 2019 as its chief financial officer.
Mercedes-Benz India: what's next?
The German brand will introduce two new SUVs in the market in December 2022 – the EQB all-electric three-row SUV, and its ICE counterpart, the GLB. Read more on that here.
Hormazd Sorabjee
Sahil Kukreja
