Tata Motors has appointed Guenter Butschek as Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director for its India operations. Butschek will lead all operations of Tata Motors in India and in international markets including South Korea, Thailand, Indonesia and South Africa. Jaguar Land Rover would continue to be managed by its Chief Executive Officer and Director, Dr Ralf Speth, who is also on the Board of Tata Motors. Butschek is expected to join the company by 15th February, 2016.

Cyrus P Mistry, Chairman of Tata Motors said, “Tata Motors is going through an exciting yet challenging phase and Butschek’s appointment comes at an opportune moment. He brings with him rich global experience of growing organizations and developing new markets. I am confident that Butschek’s ability to lead high performing teams will enable our company to achieve sustainable, profitable growth.”

The post of MD and CEO has been lying vacant since January 2014 when Tata Motors’ then managing director Karl Slym died after a fall from his hotel room in Bangkok. 

Butschek brings broad functional and general management skills and wide international experience to his new role at Tata Motors. The company has been seen its domestic passenger car sales drop to half in the last two years along with its market share. His main task will be to turn this around.

Butschek joins Tata Motors after his last assignment at Airbus Group where he served as Chief Operating Officer at Airbus and Member of the Group Executive Committee. Prior to Airbus, Butschek worked at Daimler AG for more than 25 years in international automotive management, leading functions like production, industrialization and procurement. The last role he held was President and Chief Executive Officer of Beijing Benz Automotive Co Ltd, a joint venture between Daimler AG and Beijing Automotive Industrial Holding in Beijing, China.

He is a graduate in Business Administration and Economics with a diploma from the University of Cooperative Education Stuttgart, Germany.