Mercedes-Benz recently created a Fleet Business Development and Strategic Relationship Management team for its passenger car and SUV fleet business. The new team is designed to provide fleet customers with dedicated regional contacts, more specialized expertise, and faster engagement.

The fleet organization is now centered around a national business model, as follows:

1. Ricardo Corcoles: Business Development Managers - Central

2. Michelle Downing: Business Development Managers - Western

3. Mike Frazier: Business Development Managers - Southern

4. Chris Meyer: Business Development Managers - Northeast

5. Ramdyal Ramcharan: International Key Account Manager

This new structure replaces a broader model with a more aligned, territorial approach. This allows each regional manager to make responsible decisions for respective programs, markets, and relationships.

The team continues to be run by Larry Henderson, Head of Fleet Business Development and Strategic Relationship Management. 

“Each leader brings deep OEM fleet experience, commercial sales expertise, and decades of industry knowledge from brands such as Stellantis, Nissan, BMW, and others,” Henderson said. 

In addition, the presence of an international key account manager is intended to coordinate Mercedes-Benz USA and parent company, Mercedes-Benz AG.

The new team has expertise in commercial sales, national operations, rental partnerships, and global fleet program management.

What the New Structure Means for Fleets

The new structure is meant to improve customer engagement and responsiveness with corporate fleets.

The structure intends to provide fleets with the following:

• Purposeful, proactive outreach

• Timely responses 

• Support with acquisition planning, lifecycle management, and remarketing decisions

Each of these areas may affect the total cost of ownership (TCO), so the new team structure is intended to provide better visibility into demand and trends.

Greater Focus on Long-Term Fleet Partnerships

Mercedes says the updated structure focuses more on building long-term relationships and tailored solution development.

This strategic shift is intended to provide insights into account planning, program development, partnerships, and customer support amid industry shifts, including EV incentives and strategies that are constantly evolving, remarketing complexity, and economic pressures.