India’s largest luxury carmaker Mercedes-Benz India today, announced an organizational change in its Sales & Marketing function effective from 1st February, 2023. Lance Bennett, currently associated as the General Manager and Company Director, Mercedes-Benz New Zealand, responsible for Sales, Marketing and After Sales Support for Passenger cars, will be appointed as the Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Mercedes- Benz India. Lance succeeds Santosh Iyer who is elevated as the Managing Director & CEO of Mercedes-Benz India, effective 1st January 2023.
Announcing the organizational change, Martin Schwenk, Managing Director & CEO, Mercedes-Benz India commented, “We are excited to welcome Lance Bennett to Mercedes- Benz India. Lance has successfully grown the Mercedes-AMG business in New Zealand and has rich experience across finance, sales, operations and product management functions. He oversaw the implementation of Retail of the Future in New Zealand. We are confident that Lance with his international market experience and proven record of driving customer excellence, will continue the growth momentum of Mercedes-Benz in India. I thank both Santosh and Lance for their invaluable contribution to the brand in respective markets and wish them the very best for their new roles.”
As General Manager of Mercedes-Benz New Zealand, Lance accomplished outstanding success in growing Mercedes-AMG high-performance vehicle range. He also launched Mercedes-EQ range of vehicles, growing the segment significantly in New Zealand over the last two years.
During 2021-22, Lance also oversaw the implementation of Mercedes-Benz’s Direct-to-Consumer business model, which focuses on providing an exceptional customer experience via transparent pricing, access to a national stock pool of vehicles, and offering the capability to purchase vehicles online. This new business model, just like in India, has redefined the way luxury vehicles are purchased in New Zealand.
Lance began his career with Mercedes-Benz New Zealand in 2005 as a management accountant. He has held several senior positions within the automotive industry, spanning Finance, Sales, Operations and Product Management, including postings in the United States, Australia and New Zealand. He re-joined Mercedes-Benz New Zealand in 2019 as its Chief Financial Officer, moving into the position of General Manager and Company Director in the same year.
Lance is an avid traveler who likes exploring the outdoors with his family. He is an automobile enthusiast with passion for both classic Mercedes-Benz cars and excited by the future and transition to e-mobility. Lance owns a CLK 55 AMG, which he enjoys driving and working on in the weekends.
