Gunter Butschek has been appointed Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director of Tata Motors, ending a long search for a suitable candidate for the post. The country’s largest auto maker across segments has been leaderless since the death of its former chief Karl Slym in Bangkok in January 2014.

Butschek, who is expected to join the company by February 15, joins Tata Motors after his last assignment at Airbus Group where he served as CEO and Member of the Group Executive Committee. He will lead all operations of Tata Motors in India and in international markets, including South Korea, Thailand, Indonesia and South Africa.

British subsidiary Jaguar Land Rover, however, will continue to be managed by its Chief Executive Officer and Director Ralf Speth, who is also on the Board of Tata Motors, the company said in a statement. Prior to Airbus, Butschek worked at Daimler AG for more than 25 years in international automotive management, leading functions such as production, industrialisation and procurement. The last role he held was President and Chief Executive Officer of Beijing Benz Automotive Co Ltd, a joint venture between Daimler AG and Beijing Automotive Industrial Holding in Beijing, China.

The 55-year-old graduate in Business Administration and Economics who holds a diploma from the University of Cooperative Education Stuttgart, Germany, brings functional and general management skills and experience to his new role at Tata Motors.

Cyrus P Mistry, Chairman, Tata Motors, said: “Tata Motors is going through an exciting yet challenging phase and Butschek’s appointment comes at an opportune moment. He brings with him a rich experience of growing organisations and developing new markets. I am confident that Butschek’s ability to lead high performing teams will enable our company to achieve sustainable, profitable growth.”

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