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.
