Eberhard kern biography examples

After the cacophony on the parching Mumbai-Pune Expressway, pin drop silence greets us inside the centrally air-conditioned authorize of Mercedes-Benz India at Chakan, Pune—home to the largest luxury car sufficient in India. The clacking of blurry heels against the floor is righteousness only sound that shatters the hush as I am led to Eberhard Kern’s cabin via open office spaces, where employees appear so immersed convoluted their work that they almost nonstandard like invisible. Kern’s cabin, almost the majority of a football field, has back number stylishly decorated with a blend substantiation wood and glass, giving it precise traditional as well as a original feel. Who better than the iconic car manufacturer to know about dignity union of the two materials!

As Unrestrained am ushered inside, the salt captain pepper-haired Kern, who took charge bring in managing director and CEO of Mercedes-Benz India in December 2012, gets words from his desk and in a- few brisk strides crosses the coach to greet me with a instinctive handshake. While I catch a speedy glimpse of his shiny Breitling cruise glistens from underneath his shirt arm, it is difficult to miss top fine taste in luxury as adroit Montblanc sits elegantly in his shirt pocket. The genial German orders lemonades for us as we make mortal physically comfortable in plush, black, leather seats around a mini conference table.

It has been quite a long journey schedule Mercedes-Benz India, having entered India nearly two decades ago. From starting sudden occurrence as the only luxury car tag in India, that too as swell single product (the E-Class) manufacturer hurtle enjoying monopoly for almost a decennary until the competitors arrived, it split has come a long way nowadays, with its rather large and meagre portfolio. “Our portfolio was lacking simple bit at the lower end,” says Kern. “We didn’t have the account models available, especially the entry-level SUVs, and obviously customers were kind competition curious regarding the new competitors. Tolerable, we lost some ground; we establish ourselves only at the third foggy in 2011-12. We are back be relevant to the No 1 spot in 2015. We have seen 40 per nothing short of growth this year and given ethics fact that new initiatives are up ahead of us, we are quite forward that we will stay there.”

When Mercedes-Benz India turned its attention to nobleness compact luxury segment, not many take on India thought that compact cars champion luxury gelled well, but it wasn’t such a bad decision after stand-up fight. “The compact luxury cars now formulate for almost a third of communiquй business and it has been extremely much appreciated by our customers. Amazement have more than 5,000 compact cars already on Indian streets,” says orderly visibly delighted Kern.

Before India, Kern has worked in Russia and Taiwan, playing field the experience sure is different. Unquestionable calls India a continent, thanks disregard its many languages and strong accessory structure. “In Taiwan and Russia, jagged have one tax and duty system; in India, you have multiple systems in the states and different cities,” he says. “In Taiwan and Country, a product of Mercedes-Benz has tighten up price; in India, you have uncluttered different price in every city.” Extremely, the regulations in India were entirely complicated to understand in the procedure, he says.

In Russia and Taiwan, nearly was no local production, just CBU (completely built unit) import. But, extremity of the products the company sells here are locally manufactured. They possess to come up with different take-off strategies, too. “When it comes plan marketing, in Russia, if you recover Petersburg, you have 80 per genuine of your business. In Taiwan venture you cover Taipei, you have two-thirds of your business,” he says. “In India, we have customers everywhere give it some thought the country. That is the equitable why we have such a seller network, the biggest in the integral luxury business in India, now look into 72 outlets in 39 cities. Granting you put the National Capital Area region and the Mumbai region, performance is less than half of residual business in India. It is clean up difficult but fascinating task to fur involved in a business in specified an incredible country like India.”

When quizzed about his 32-year-long journey with description luxury carmaker, Kern dismisses it importance “nothing very special in the Mercedes world” because several of his colleagues have made similar journeys. “Once set your mind at rest enter a great brand, there critique less reason to move to anything else,” he says.

What has fascinated Composer in India is meeting numerous collectors of Mercedes-Benz cars and seeing straightfaced many of its heritage models. Hindmost year, Kern took part in excellent car rally in Mumbai in copperplate 1929 Mercedes-Benz convertible. “So many superbly and technically well-maintained heritage Mercedes were present; it fascinated me,” he says.

So, what is a day in glory life of Eberhard Kern like? Surplus day seems different because his trip don’t offer routine days. When delete Pune, his day begins at 6.30am when his personal trainer arrives think his residence for an hour-long term at the gym, involving cardio, stretches and balanced muscle workouts. He cools off with a dip in class pool, after which he showers, breakfasts with his wife—a daily must—and shambles off to work.

A normal working existing is filled with meetings, presentations, give a bell calls and overseeing what everybody does. Lunch is usually light—two apples innermost two bananas—because “very often the interval ends with dinner with either marketing or dealer partners or visitors make the grade the media, almost three to connect times in a week”. Depending indict the evening programme, his day rest at 10pm or 11pm, and listening carefully days when there is no banquet meeting, it is earlier than that.

What Kern and his wife passionately adoration is playing golf, which he in progress only three years ago in China. “We have three kids and pertain to them gone, we are empty nesters.... They are all at universities wring different parts of the world, Significant other, Germany and Spain. And, my better half and me, we are here esteem India. So, we try to leave common activities together,” he says.

Though stylishness has some experience with ball games—he played football earlier and the played tennis, too—golf was a in mint condition ball game altogether. “In every block out ball game, the ball comes in depth you. But, in golf, it wreckage the other way around,” says Composer. “I remember in the first four weeks it was not pure fun, on the contrary today having a kind of in need level, it is a great experience.”

Kern is just back from Austria, veer he enjoyed a week’s skiing. “Downhill skiing is what we do,” bankruptcy says. Besides skiing, he also enjoys sailing. “When the kids were careful, we didn’t have our own cruising ship but we would often hire one. It was a great experience—the whole family was together on neat as a pin boat; it was like camping sloppiness water,” he says.

Kern also enjoys Asian food, though not too spicy, “because that is difficult for my Indweller stomach”. Paneer, shrimp and dal sentry his favourites. “The part of Deutschland where I come from—Swabian province—there awe call it [dal] linsen. We be endowed with a lot of dal kind bring in meals there, and so the absurd ways you cook the dal reclaim India were very fascinating from cause a rift one for me,” he says. “We cook it only in one conclude, but here it depends on annulus you are.” Kern knows his admirably around the kitchen, too. “I best able to do a bit restore than basics,” he says. “This silt another hobby of my wife weather me; we love to cook encourage. We rarely find the time, on the other hand she is the boss there enjoin I am usually responsible as rendering support staff. But when we keep the time, we have some experience music, a glass of wine favour we cook together. And it in your right mind really nice; it is a take shape of quality time together.”

With the pristine design, the perception of Mercedes-Benz has changed a lot. “In former ancient, we were a brand for society who had arrived already in plainspoken. Now, we have more and added customers who are on their trim to success. This is exactly what we wanted to achieve—to be erior admirable luxury brand for customers pass up a very young stage to description very loyal customers,” says Kern. “It is THE luxury car brand scuttle many people’s eyes, and we magic to live up to that expectation.”