MONTVALE, N.J. -

Late last week it was revealed that Mercedes-Benz USA has chosen a new president and chief executive officer.

Tapped for the position is Stephen Cannon, former vice president of marketing for MBUSA, effective Jan. 1. Cannon replaces Ernst Lieb, who left the company this past October.

As for his new role, Cannon will now have have overall responsibility for the Mercedes-Benz, Maybach, Sprinter and smart brands in the United States, the company shared.

Furthermore,  he will lead MBUSA’s more than 1,700 employees and 356 dealers throughout the U.S. 

Cannon will report to Joachim Schmidt, executive vice president of sales and marketing for Mercedes-Benz Cars in Stuttgart, Germany.

Highlighting Cannon’s history with the company, in his most recent role as VP of marketing for  MBUSA, he was in charge of marketing communications, market research and product management of the Mercedes-Benz and Maybach brands in the U.S.

In 1991, Cannon began his automotive career at as executive assistant to the president and CEO of Mercedes-Benz of North America (predecessor to MBUSA). 

From there, Cannon moved to Stuttgart, Germany, and joined a small team tasked with the development, manufacturing and launch of the M-Class —  the first Mercedes-Benz SUV ever made in and for this market, the company shared.

Before returning to the U.S., Cannon served as director of marketing for debis Financial Services (later Daimler Financial Services) and then held positions in retail and e-business consultancies. 

Additionally, he also served as principal for The Richards Group, one of the largest independent full-service advertising agencies in the U.S., before joining MBUSA in his current position.