Franz G. Koller

Mercedes-Benz Financial Services South Africa (Pty) Ltd board of directors has announced that Franz G. Koller has been appointed as CEO of the company, effective 01 July 2011. Koller joined the global Daimler group in 1985, holding various financial positions. In 1988, he was assigned to Turkey as the head of financial controlling operations in the sales and marketing organisation, Mercedes-Benz Türk. He made significant contributions to the development of financial services in this region until 1997 when he was appointed as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) at Mercedes-Benz Financial Services South Africa. He served as the CFO during the set-up and foundation period of the local company. In 2000 Koller was assigned to establish and head up a fully-fledged financial services company in Turkey when Daimler Financial Services AG decided to unlock the region’s potential for finance, leasing, insurance and fleet services. During his tenure in Turkey he was elected as the president of the German-Turkish Chamber of Industry and Commerce. He is also held the position of Deputy Chair of the Association of Retail Finance Companies Turkey and served on the Board of the Association of Financial Leasing Companies Turkey. Koller was born in Turkey, Ankara in 1954 (in duty bound of his father in the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany). After completing his primary school and college education in Ankara, he returned back to Germany and got his BA and MS degree in economics at the Munich Ludwig-Maximilian University.