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2024 Visionary Disruptor of the Year
Ola Källenius, CEO and Chairman of the Board of Mercedes-Benz
Being a visionary in the business world means more than planning based on predicted trends. This means working to define the future. Kallenius, Chairman of the Board of Management and CEO of the Mercedes-Benz Group, did just that.
He leads a team of more than 150,000 employees dedicated to bringing the company that invented the car into a new era of mobility.
“Today’s automotive industry is all about constantly ‘updating’ and future-proofing your products and business. Together with the entire Mercedes team, we are 100 percent committed to this task. It’s great to invent cars. Better things are on the way Reshaping the future of mobility. Mercedes-Benz is also determined to lead the new automotive world,” said Kallenius. Weekly newspaper.
Kallenius found that the best way to succeed was to give employees greater freedom.
“I have been working at Mercedes since 1993. During this time, I have been privileged to learn a lot from many different colleagues and partners who have a wide range of talents and a strong interest in our cars. It’s the same passion. I also experienced leadership in different cultural contexts,” he said.
“Over the years, I have developed my own leadership style that is based on empowering my direct employees and giving them a lot of freedom to do their jobs. I work this way because I believe in providing greater personal Freedom, “rather than giving exact instructions, can pave the way for groundbreaking ideas. However, for me, greater freedom and greater responsibility go hand in hand. “
It takes a village to build the next generation of cars, taking into account sustainability, emissions, manufacturing, transportation, technology and performance goals. “My approach is to gather as much information as possible before making a decision at board level. I talk to a lot of people and listen to their opinions, especially those with different opinions. You could say it’s about ‘less me, more’ It’s us who have more,” Källenius said.
Planning the execution of these breakthrough ideas requires visionary leadership. For Kallenius, the goal was obvious. “We have a very clear vision: We will build the most desirable cars in the world,” he said.
To that end, Mercedes has drawn a controversial line in the sand. The company is the architect of its “software house”. Rather than relying on another company’s technology to install its vehicles, it works with specially selected partners and owns the technology ecosystem for its vehicles.
“I’m very excited about our proprietary operating system, MB.OS. As our new purpose-built chip-to-cloud architecture, it will be at the core of every future product, providing our customers with superior software capabilities and ease of use,” “He said.
Part of delivering a customer experience is giving Mercedes car buyers what they want today and keeping the model they buy technologically fresh for years to come.
“With MB.OS, Mercedes will actually improve with age… Although our goal is to develop new technologies faster, we will not make any compromises in terms of safety and quality.” Any compromise,” Källenius said.
He led the company during a period of great change. Not only are software-defined vehicles in the spotlight, but the evolution of powertrains also means the need for increased flexibility in product development and manufacturing. Anticipating consumer demand is no longer as easy as it once was, and government regulations are putting pressure on buyer behavior.
Unlike some automakers that have committed to developing all-electric vehicles, Mercedes will continue to improve powertrains that run on a variety of fuels, devoting time and resources to mechanisms that some brands consider outdated.
But that doesn’t mean Mercedes isn’t moving forward with electric vehicles. The company is balancing today and tomorrow, as is clearly demonstrated by the various upcoming next-generation G-Class models.
“We have an ideal portfolio of battery electric vehicles and high-tech electric combustion engine models, with more to come. We maintain strategic focus and tactical flexibility. Mercedes-Benz is taking the necessary steps to become fully electric. Customer and market conditions will determine the pace of transformation,” Kallenius said.
how we do it
To identify this year’s candidates for the world’s greatest automotive disruptors, Weekly newspaperThe Automotive team, led by senior automotive editor Eileen Falkenberg-Hull, compiled a list that considered every major automaker in each award category. Nominations for brands, teams and individuals are based on cumulative performance over the past year, taking into account each candidate’s achievements in areas such as future product planning, business strategy, technology, marketing, engineering, sustainable development, manufacturing and R&D. To be considered, candidates must have clear and demonstrable potential to drive fundamental, transformative change in the automotive market with measurable real-world results through executive decision-making, corporate strategy, product development and advocacy. this way. The Legacy Awards recognize individuals who have achieved these achievements in the industry over decades. Automobile magazine editors, including Jack Ringelmann, narrowed the list of nominees.The winner is selected after consensus among the car teams Weekly newspaper Top Editor.
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