Mercedes-Benz USA's longtime marketing boss and onetime interim CEO Drew Slaven has left the company.
In a memo to the brand's dealers reviewed by Automotive News, Mercedes-Benz USA CEO Dimitris Psillakis said the chief marketing officer had decided to retire.
“After some extensive thought and in consultation with his family and colleagues at MBUSA, [Slaven] has made the decision to retire,” Psillakis said in the memo, dated Jan. 31. “We will inform you about our succession plans in due time.”
A source briefed on the matter told Automotive News that Slaven, one of the more tenured company officers, had been at "loggerheads" with leadership. Slaven did not attend a Mercedes' meeting at the National Automobile Dealers Association show last month.
Slaven, 56, did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment through his LinkedIn account.
Whether Slaven walked or was nudged, it's unlikely the marketing executive is finished with the marketing industry.
A company source told Automotive News that Slaven has another job lined up but declined to discuss the details.