The local road freight industry has welcomed the news that Maretha Gerber has made history at Daimler Truck Southern Africa (DTSA) by becoming its first female Group CEO and president, effective April 1.
She takes over from Michael Dietz, a DTSA stalwart who joined the company in 2020 and was appointed into the current leadership role in January 2020.
Dietz will be departing for Dubai to head up DTSA’s Regional Centre for the Middle East, Northern and Central Africa.
At Friday’s announcement, he said it was with a heavy heart that he’s leaving South Africa at the end of March.
“But to be honest, I’m quite excited,” he said of Gerber’s appointment.
“She has been part of my team since day one, serving on the executive committee. She is highly experienced, and she knows the business. It’s 100% the right decision.”
Commenting on Dietz’s integrated strategy presentation for DTSA that preceded the CEO-changeover announcement, Gerber said it’s important to maintain business continuity.
“Normally, when a new CEO takes over, you wait three months to see what’s going to change; that’s usually how the cycle works.
“I have been part of the strategy that we have set out to do, and I believe that the strategy and direction are the right ones.”
She highlighted a continued focus on education within DTSA’s own ranks as part of its goal for continued empowerment, saying: “Investing in people is not a task but an opportunity.”
Gerber also mentioned the roll-out this year of e-mobility initiatives, a continued focus on end-to-end customer support systems, and building on the company’s used truck division that has shown consistent growth for the past five years.
Nicci Scott Anderson, the CEO of the Commercial Transport Academy who endeavours for gender transformation within the logistics industry, called Gerber’s appointment, “truly a fantastic achievement.”
