Jochen Götz

Jochen Götz was a highly respected financial executive who dedicated his entire 36-year career to the Daimler Group, ultimately serving as Chief Financial Officer of Daimler Truck Holding AG from 2021 until his unexpected passing in August 2023. Born in Rastatt, Baden-Württemberg, Götz began his journey at Mercedes-Benz as an apprentice industrial clerk in Gaggenau and rose through the ranks to become one of the most influential leaders in the commercial vehicle industry. He was instrumental in orchestrating the historic spinoff of Daimler Truck from Mercedes-Benz Group AG in December 2021, a complex financial restructuring that created one of the world's largest commercial vehicle manufacturers as an independent entity. As CFO, Götz was responsible for finance and controlling, procurement of non-production materials and services, and information technology across the global organization. Under his astute financial leadership, Daimler Truck achieved record-breaking performance, including an adjusted return on sales of 10.3% for its industrial business in Q2 2023. His career progression from controlling functions in the Unimog division to senior management roles at Mercedes-Benz Trucks, and later as director of finance and controlling at Daimler Trucks North America in Portland, Oregon, demonstrated his exceptional expertise in commercial vehicle finance. Götz served on the board of directors of Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation since 2016, showcasing his international leadership capabilities. CEO Martin Daum praised him as having 'played a key role in shaping today's Daimler Truck company' and consistently working towards making it 'more economically successful than ever before.' His legacy continues through the annual 'Jochen Götz Award' established to honor outstanding apprentices at Daimler Truck.