Andreas Renschler

Career

After completing his training as a banker, Renschler studied business engineering from 1979 to 1984 at the Technical College in Esslingen, where he obtained a Diplom degree in Business Engineering. From 1984 to 1987 he studied business administration at the University of Tübingen, where he also earned a Diplom degree. He wrote his thesis at the Hewlett-Packard computer company.

Daimler AG

In 1988 Renschler joined Daimler-Benz AG, where he initially worked in the Organization and Data Processing department. In 1989 he worked on the staff of Mercedes-Benz Chairman Werner Niefer, after which he managed project teams at the Corporate Planning unit. In 1992 he was Executive Assistant to the designated Board of Management Chairman Helmut Werner. In 1993 he was appointed to manage the All Activity Vehicle (AAV) project, whose aim was to develop an all-new luxury SUV and to select and build a corresponding production facility in the U.S. The result was the newly developed Mercedes-Benz M-Class, which has been manufactured in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, since 1997. The luxurious SUV defined a new segment and was a market success. The vehicle has also been delivered to customers in Germany since 1998.

After managing the M-Class unit and serving as President and CEO of the production subsidiary Mercedes-Benz U.S. International Inc. (MBUSI), Renschler switched to the corporate headquarters in Stuttgart, where he was appointed Senior Vice President, Executive Management Development at DaimlerChrysler, the company that had recently been formed through the merger of Daimler and Chrysler.

Renschler was President of smart GmbH from 1999 to 2004. He stabilized the small car brand, cut costs, and opened up new markets in Asia. Today, the smart brand is the market leader in Germany’s micro-car segment and an integral part of the Daimler division Mercedes-Benz Cars.

In addition to his responsibilities at smart, Renschler was assigned to the Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC) in Tokyo in spring 2004 in order to assess the strategic and operational options for MMC within the Daimler Group. As a result of this assessment, Daimler terminated its involvement in MMC.

On October 1, 2004, Renschler was appointed a member of the Daimler AG Board of Management, where he is responsible for Daimler Trucks and Daimler Buses. Daimler Trucks is the world’s largest truck manufacturer, and has the highest sales and returns of any bus manufacturer in the world.

Renschler resigned his positions at Daimler AG on 29 January 2014, after over 25 years with the company.

Volkswagen AG

On 1 February 2015, one year after leaving Daimler AG, Renschler was appointed to the Board of Management of Volkswagen AG, with responsibility for the commercial vehicles division. In assigning Renschler to this position, Volkswagen AG chairman Martin Winterkorn expects Renschler to integrate the operations of the Volkswagen commercial vehicles unit and its Scania and MAN subsidiaries.

Professional commitments

Other

After Renschler had set up the Mercedes-Benz plant in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, in 1993, the region became a center of the automotive industry in the southern United States. Other manufacturers such as Toyota, Honda, and Hyundai subsequently settled in Alabama as well. Tuscaloosa still serves as a temporary home for many Germans, and the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa even has a German Supplementary School. Renschler has also established an academic foundation. The Mercedes-Benz plant in Tuscaloosa is the largest employer in the region. Besides the M-Class, the plant has also been manufacturing the Mercedes-Benz R-Class and the Mercedes-Benz GL-Class since 2005.

Renschler is also involved in the Takenoko student exchange project between Germany and Japan.

Personal life

Renschler is married and has a son and a daughter. He is a member of the student corporation “Igel” in Tübingen. In his leisure time he likes to play golf and collect model trains.