Published : Nov. 30, 2012 - 19:06
Thomas Urbach
Mercedes-Benz Korea CEO Thomas Urbach died on Thursday in Germany, company spokespeople said Friday.
The company did not reveal the cause of death of the 50-year-old German businessman, but Yonhap News, quoting unnamed industry sources, reported that the luxury car chief, who had suffered from depression for years, killed himself.
Urbach was in Germany to visit the automaker’s headquarters in Stuttgart.
The CEO had been scheduled to hold a press conference on Dec. 11 in Seoul to make public the Korean unit’s 2013 business plans. On Nov. 26, he showcased the new Mercedes-Benz G-class at an unveiling event in Gangwon Province.
The late CEO had more than 20 years of experience in the industry. He served as vice president of sales and marketing vans from 2006 at the company’s headquarters in Berlin.
He joined the industry in 1989 at Daimler AG, the maker of Mercedes-Benz and held several management positions, including vice president of sales for Mercedes-Benz cars and commercial vehicles for Daimler South East Asia in Singapore in 2003.
He graduated from the University of Trier in Germany with a bachelor’s degree in business management.
By Kim Yon-se (
kys@heraldcorp.com)