Mercedes-Benz has proposed the chief of chemical group BASF as the next chair of its supervisory board, choosing an executive widely regarded as a China pragmatist.
The German carmaker has put forward Martin Brudermüller, the former head of BASF’s China business who last year warned against “China bashing”. Brudermüller knows the car industry well with the chemical group being an important supplier of paints and plastics. He is expected to start his new role when he steps down from the helm of the chemical group next year.
Under the German system, there are two boards: the executive board that runs the company day-to-day and the supervisory board that oversees the work of the former and advises on strategy.