Mercedes-Benz USA appointed Marcus “Bart” Herring as its next VP of sales and product, effective Aug. 1, according to a July 29 press release.
Herring, who served in the same role for Mercedes-Benz Canada, will return to the U.S. to join the automaker’s executive leadership team. He succeeds Senol Bayrak, who had served in the role since Nov. 1, 2021.
“Bart is a proven leader with an exceptional track record, and we look forward to welcoming him back to MBUSA and to the Executive Management team,” said Dimitris Psillakis, president and CEO of Mercedes-Benz USA, in the release. “With his lifelong passion for the automotive industry and years of experience with the Mercedes-Benz brand, I am convinced that Bart is well-positioned to work in close collaboration with the best dealer partners in the industry to lead the way and ensure that Mercedes-Benz is the most desired electric luxury brand.”
Herring began his career with Mercedes-Benz in 1998 as a financial review analyst at Mercedes-Benz Financial Services, and then spent eight years in product management at Mercedes-Benz USA where he was responsible for numerous successful launches, the release said.
Additionally, Michael Minielly was appointed director, communications and experience effective Aug. 1. He will report to Mercedes-Benz USA Chief Marketing Officer Melody Lee in the newly created role, which brings together product, corporate, brand and internal communications, brand experience marketing, corporate social responsibility and internal events.
“Michael has consistently been regarded by his colleagues, members of the media and agency partners for his strategic leadership, commitment, and passion for the Mercedes-Benz brand,” Lee said in the release. “I am grateful that he will be stepping into this newly created role to effectively and impactfully communicate our brand story and ensure exceptional experiences with the brand and our products.”
Minielly joined Mercedes-Benz in 2008, first supervising Canadian communications activities before moving to Mercedes-Benz USA’s product communications team more than a decade ago. Since 2018, he has led the automaker’s national product, technology, brand and lifestyle communications team in Los Angeles.
