Dive Brief:
- Jochen Goetz, CFO of German automaker Daimler Truck AG, passed away Saturday in a “tragic incident” at the age of 52, the company said in a Sunday press release.
- The Leinfelden-Echterdingen, Germany-based company received the news of Goetz’s sudden passing with “dismay and great sadness,” they said in the release. Goetz is survived by his wife and two children.
- Goetz’s death is a “tremendous loss” for Daimler both personally and professionally, Martin Daum, CEO and chairman of the board, said in a statement included in the Sunday release.
Dive Insight:
Daimler Truck AG did not name a successor for Goetz or provide the cause of his death in the release and the company did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Goetz spent his 36-year professional career at Daimler, taking his first management position in the controlling division at Mercedes-Benz AG in 2001, the company in the release. He was “decisively responsible” for the spin-off of Daimler Truck from the Mercedes-Benz Group AG in December 2021, the company said.
Following the 2021 spin-off, Goetz was appointed to the board of management for Daimler Truck, and has been responsible for finance and controlling at the company since that point, the company said. Goetz’s responsibilities also included the procurement of non-production materials and services, as well as IT.
Goetz “played a key role in shaping today’s Daimler Truck company and, as Chief Financial Officer, has consistently worked towards making the company more economically successful today than ever before,” Daum said in his statement.
Just a few days ago on August 1, Goetz “presented the successful financial development of ‘his company’ to the Supervisory Board in a convincing and confident manner,” Joe Kaeser, chairman of the supervisory board of Daimler Truck, said in a statement included in the Sunday release. “Jochen Goetz stood for authenticity, commitment and care for his colleagues. Thereby, he always had an eye on the long-term purpose of Daimler Truck,” he said.
With Goetz serving at Daimler’s financial helm for two years, the company reported strong second quarter and first half of 2023 results on August 1.
Daimler reported €13.9 billion in revenue for its second quarter, a 15% jump compared to the €12.1 billion it reported for the same period in 2022, according to its financial results. It also reported record adjusted return on sales for its Industrial Business of more than 10% for the first time, Goetz said in a statement included in its earnings release.
