In today’s Auto Ethnographer episode, the second of two parts, host John Stech dives deeper into his experience at DaimlerChrysler, covering his stay at the Chrysler side of the family.

John’s assignment at Chrysler International, a division of the company responsible for 120 non-NAFTA markets, was to revamp the volume planning system in time for a major new product offensive. In doing so he had to gain trust with an experienced Chrysler team and get their support in building a modernized approach to sales and production planning. This effort ended up impacting not only the International markets, but also caused the American, Canadian, and Mexican markets to change their approach to forecasting and vehicle ordering.

In the closing days of the merger, John had moved to Egypt (the topic of Episode 11) where he first strove to harmonize the frayed working relationship between Mercedes-Benz and Chrysler. This effort stopped short once DaimlerChrysler’s CEO, Dr. Dieter Zetsche announced the sale of Chrysler to Cerberus Capital Management. Later John would have to begin the sales company wind-down process to separate the company into two new subsidiaries, Mercedes-Benz Egypt and Chrysler Egypt.

This is the second half of John’s personal story through nine years of experiences at DaimlerChrysler, as seen from the front row on both sides of the merged entity. He understands that his experience was different than that of others. While some viewed the merger positively, many derided one or the other merged partner.

Please share your thoughts or opinions with The Auto Ethnographer by visiting the website at https://www.auto-ethnographer.com or by leaving comments on the social media sites at LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, or YouTube.

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In today’s Auto Ethnographer episode, host John Stech dives deep into his experience at DaimlerChrysler. He worked within both halves of the merged companies for the duration of the company’s nine year existence. Did its end stem from irreconcilable intercultural differences? The Auto Ethnographer dives in to answer the question and the conclusion may surprise you.

On the day of the merger announcement in May 1998, John Stech was driving to work at Mercedes-Benz USA. He was so shocked by the news announcement that he pulled over on the side of the road to hear the report.

As head of Product Management for SUVs, John was responsible for the M-Class SUV and was involved in a Mercedes-Benz minivan project. It turns out that these two vehicles would be the only overlaps between the merging partners. Would the status quo remain or would the vehicles be cancelled as competing duplicates? John traces the story of the M-Class and Jeep Grand Cherokee overlap and the meetings that occurred to decide their fate.

After leaving Product Management at Mercedes-Benz and shifting into Strategic Volume Planning, little did he know that this move would prepare him for a transition to the Chrysler side of DaimlerChrysler at its headquarters in Auburn Hills, a suburb of Detroit, in 2002.

John’s assignment at Chrysler International, a division of the company responsible for 120 non-NAFTA markets, was to revamp the volume planning system in time for a major new product offensive. In doing so he had to gain trust with an experienced Chrysler team and get their support in building a modernized approach to sales and production planning. This effort ended up impacting not only the International markets, but also caused the American, Canadian, and Mexican markets to change their approach to forecasting and vehicle ordering.

In the closing days of the merger, John had moved to Egypt (the topic of Episode 11) where he first strove to harmonize the frayed working relationship between Mercedes-Benz and Chrysler. Later he would have to begin the sales company wind-down process to separate the companies.

This is John’s personal story through nine years of experiences at DaimlerChrysler, as seen from the front row on both sides of the merged entity. He understands that his experience was different than that of others. While some viewed the merger positively, many derided one or the other merger partner.

Please share your thoughts or opinions with The Auto Ethnographer by visiting the website at https://www.auto-ethnographer.com or by leaving comments on the social media sites at LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, or YouTube.

On this week’s Auto Ethnographer episode, host John Stech tells his own story. He had spent his life preparing for a dream of working and living abroad. Suddenly the opportunity sprung up and he had only three months to prepare for a transfer with family to Egypt. Here he would be Managing Director of DaimlerChrysler Egypt (now separated into Mercedes-Benz Egypt and Stellantis Egypt).

John Stech was born Jörn Stech in Germany. His family emigrated to the United States in the 1970s but he spent many summers living with his grandparents in Germany, thereby retaining his connection to his birth country.

Since an early age he perceived the cultural differences between himself and his American friends. This led to a lifelong curiosity about international cultures as well as a deep desire to see the world, both on visits and through an international career.

He had spent thirteen years in his automotive career, most of those working with international markets but from a base in North America. Then, in 2006 his first international assignment would appear on the horizon. He accepted the offer to become the Managing Director of DaimlerChrysler Egypt in Cairo.

This opportunity threw many challenges at John. Although he had some familiarity with the Middle East – his parents had lived in Saudi Arabia – he knew that Egypt was very specific. He felt compelled to understand the market and the culture even before leaving DaimlerChrysler’s US headquarters in Auburn Hills, Michigan outside of Detroit.

The Managing Director role was also a large step in terms of responsibility. John had been leading a 35-person department in charge of volume planning, inventory management, and order intake for Chrysler's 120 non-NAFTA markets. Now he would have nearly 100 Egyptian employees and be responsible for all aspects of the local business for Mercedes-Benz and Jeep, Chrysler, and Dodge brands. This included sales, marketing, dealer networks, customer service and even two CKD assembly plants, one for Mercedes-Benz and one for Jeep respectively.

Now he tells the story how he shaped his life, his education and career in the direction of an international career. He identifies the steps he took to move to a new country and a new job, taking along a family with young children.

For those of you considering moving abroad, this episode shares insights on how to prepare, both before departing the home country and after arrival in the host country.

To learn more about The Auto Ethnographer please visit the homepage at https://www.auto-ethnographer.com