In recent years, Nicholas Speeks, a distinguished veteran within the auto industry, has taken up the habit of wearing a Chinese flag collar insignia when attending various functions.

"I identify with China and my Chinese colleagues, and my Chinese flag insignia reminds me that I have to work together with my Chinese colleagues in good days and challenging moments," said Speeks, president and CEO of Beijing Mercedes-Benz Sales Service (BMBS) Co Ltd.

When he took over his current post in 2012, Speeks said he embarked on what has been one of the most critical challenges he has ever faced.

"When I joined our business in China, the company was encountering many challenges. However, my colleagues and I stood together and did not run away. Now, China is the biggest market in the world for Mercedes-Benz, and that is an achievement we share together."

The company has now introduced more than 40 models into the market and BMBS has delivered over 1 million vehicles to customers since it was founded in 2013.

However, the journey is far from over, and rather than resting on his laurels, Speeks is looking to the future.

"We are at the beginning of a long journey," said Speeks, "yet we are happy that we are on the right track now."

With the efforts of dedicated colleagues, strong partnerships with its dealers and the supports of shareholders, he said the German premium auto brand has witnessed "an extraordinary, uninterrupted 40 months of consecutive sales growth".

With over 215,000 units sold in the first half of the year, a year-on-year increase of 34 percent, the company has already matched its sales for the whole year of 2013.

Innovation as core edge

With its 130 years of history, Mercedes-Benz has the longest history of any automaker in existence. However, according to Speeks, the company is defined by its forward-facing spirit and openness to fresh concepts.

"We are an innovative company," said Speeks. "You cannot force innovation. You must create the right environment by letting people have the time and resources to develop new ideas."

In order to create this environment, Mercedes-Benz looks to its own employees to play an active role in the shaping of new products and services.

"Our track record of success gives our employees a sense of confidence and momentum. People have diverse interests, but the key is to ensure that your employees work on something which they feel is valued," said Speeks.

The company also works to ensure that their customers' journey extends beyond just cars. To this end, Mercedes-Benz established the first visionary, lifestyle retail experience from a premium car manufacturer, the Mercedes me stores, the most recent of which, the largest worldwide, recently opened in Sanlitun, Beijing.

With brand offerings like these, Mercedes-Benz is offering more people an opportunity to connect with the brand and its values.

By expanding sales and communication channels through non-traditional channels, Mercedes-Benz is focused on bringing the brand closer to customers' lifestyles.

With this in mind, the company has embarked on a series of ambitious collaborations with China's largest tech giants to try out new functions, such as Air Quality App and Baidu Car Life, for the Mercedes-Benz infotainment system.

Embedded China ideas

According to Speeks, 2016 is a year of innovation for the company, and the All New E-Class embodies this fact. It is the most intelligent model yet from the automaker, and it is the marriage of the company's meticulous R&D and localization efforts.

Local genes are present in a range of localized and imported Mercedes-Benz vehicles through the company's product development strategy, which heavily incorporates inputs from Mercedes-Benz China operations, with technical ideas generated within China applied to optimize the company's global product portfolio.

Although Mercedes-Benz is a global brand with distinct characteristics, the company will continue to subtly integrate Chinese genes into its products and services.

In the words of Speeks: "In China, there is a unique sense of striving for something better, and the conviction that anything is possible. This country is shaping the world, and also going a long way in shaping the way this company works."

zhuanti@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 07/06/2016 page15)