DaimlerChrysler Appoints New Chief Operating Officer for Mercedes and Smart Brands

BERLIN April 3, 2005; The AP reported that DaimlerChrysler AG has appointed Rainer Schmueckle to the newly created position of chief operating officer at its Mercedes unit, the German-American automaker said Sunday.

The position, which takes effect April 15, will give Schmueckle oversight over cost cutting measures aimed at improving profitability in the automaker's Mercedes-Benz and Smart brands.

The appointments comes just two days after DaimlerChrysler announced plans to restructure its money-losing Smart car maker, spending up to $1.56 billion this year, cutting 700 jobs and scrapping some models.

On Thursday, the company also announced it was recalling 1.3 million Mercedes-Benz cars worldwide to fix problems with their alternators and batteries.

Schmueckle was previously head of Business Unit Trucks NAFTA, part of Daimler's Commercial Vehicles Division, as well as head of Daimler's Freightliner truck unit.