Mercedes-Benz has declared a major reorganization at the top in a daring move to revitalize its executive team in the face of growing electric-vehicle transition pressures. Effective December 1, 2025, Jorg Burzer, presently the company’s head of production, will become Chief Technology Officer (CTO); Michael Schiebe will step in to oversee production, quality, and supply-chain operations.
The changes fit with the intended departure of Markus Schafer, long-time technology chief, once his contract terminates after three decades. Mercedes’s change toward electrification and digital integration has been generally credited to Schafer. Burzer’s promotion suggests a planned recalibration. Leading the board division of Development & Procurement in his new capacity, he will combine R&D, sourcing, and technical guidance under one umbrella. His experience in production, quality, and logistics helps him to appreciate the limitations and possibilities modern automotive manufacturing presents.
Michael Schiebe’s appointment to production control, on the other hand, cements Mercedes’ aim to closely link engineering creativity with manufacturing execution. Mercedes aims to mastering transformation part of deliberate renewal intended at injecting fresh energy into its leadership while preserving institutional knowledge. The action is undertaken amid Headwinds: high development cost management, increasing rivalry in China, and declining demand for EVs in some areas.
Putting Burzer in charge of technology might help to overcome the silos between R&D and manufacturing, therefore speeding time to market and lowering expenditures. But the Change carries danger. Engineering teams could need time to get accustomed to fresh leadership, and carrying out ambitious technology objectives under more stringent financial constraints would challenge the company.
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December draws near, and everyone will be watching Burzer and Schiebe to see if they meet their obligations and whether the structural change helps to boost performance. Mercedes-Benz is betting that closer integration of technology, procurement, and manufacturing will increase its capacity to compete not just on product innovation but also on cost efficiency and operational agility.
