About the speaker: Wynand Stapelberg is the VP of Engineering at Mercedes-Benz USA. He has over two decades of experience in automotive engineering and management. Since 2022, he has led engineering, planning, maintenance, and energy management functions at Mercedes-Benz USA. Beginning his journey with Mercedes-Benz in 2007, he held various roles across South Africa, China, and presently in Alabama, USA, encompassing maintenance, technical site services, and more. He holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Pretoria, and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Cape Town. His expertise lies in optimizing engineering processes, predictive maintenance, and sustainable practices in automotive manufacturing.

About the company: Mercedes-Benz commonly referred to as Mercedes and sometimes as Benz, is a German luxury and commercial vehicle automotive brand established in 1926. Mercedes-Benz AG (a Mercedes-Benz Group subsidiary established in 2019) is headquartered in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Mercedes-Benz AG produces consumer luxury vehicles and light commercial vehicles badged as Mercedes-Benz. From November 2019 onwards, Mercedes-Benz-badged heavy commercial vehicles (trucks and buses) are managed by Daimler Truck, a former part of the Mercedes-Benz Group turned into an independent company in late 2021. In 2018, Mercedes-Benz was the largest brand of premium vehicles in the world, having sold 2.31 million passenger cars. In 2020, their production output was 2,164,187 cars worldwide Their brands include Mercedes, Maybach and Smart.

Number of Employees: 166,000

Revenue: €35.9 billion