Mercedes-Benz Services Malaysia Sdn Bhd (MBSM) has appointed automotive financing industry veteran, Mike Ponnaz, as its new Managing Director.
Ponnaz has a total of 23 years experience in the automotive industry, 10 of which have been specifically in automotive financing, and was previously the Director of Sales and Marketing of Mercedes-Benz Financial Services Thailand. Before expanding his career in automotive financing, Ponnaz initially pursued his education in hotel management. He believes his brief but valuable experience in the hotel business has helped heighten his focus on the customer and further inspired him to apply this skill in a different sector.
Ponnaz has remained close to the Mercedes-Benz brand since the start of his career in the automotive sector in 1993. The journey of his illustrious career began when he joined Thonburi Automotive Assembly Plant Co. Ltd, an importer and assembler of Mercedes-Benz vehicle components, in Thailand. In his first position, he was a project manager for the market introduction of AMG parts and also managed the projected investment for the brand’s motorsports activities in the Southeast Asia region.
A key highlight in Ponnaz’s career was his role in managing a major restructuring excercise in 1998 for the then general distributor of Mercedes-Benz. He was responsible for negotiating contractual matters with all stakeholders involved in the restructure which included creditors, financial advisors and legal councils. Ponnaz’s role as mediator helped the company restructure its operations quickly, thus ensuring its business model remained viable in the years to come.
As the principal of the newly established retail business, Ponnaz led the company to achieve a 30% market share for the sale of Mercedes-Benz cars and a 45% market share of the after-sales business in Thailand. This was the result of a comprehensive sales network encompassing five flagship stores built in just two years which helped boost the overall sales for Mercedes-Benz cars in Thailand.
Ponnaz’s positive contributions impressed the Managing Director of Mercedes-Benz Financial Services Thailand, who proceeded to offer him an opportunity to lead the company’s sales and marketing division. Ponnaz viewed the opportunity as an extremely attractive avenue to build his knowledge and experience along the entire automotive value chain.
“MBSM has done very well in building a strong third quarter year-to-date servicing portfolio of RM1.8 billion, which translates into the confidence Mercedes-Benz customers in Malaysia have in our offerings. I look forward to continuing the successful business that out-going MBSM Managing Director, Hilke Janssen, has built up over the past four years,” said Ponnaz.
Describing his leadership style, Ponnaz views himself as a calm and orderly leader who makes his expectations clear. He considers himself an ambitious team player and firmly believes that team play is less a matter of group work and more of working with a sense of mutual trust. “I’m here to help bring about the best in people, offer empowerment whenever possible, and jointly seek new opportunities for continued growth,” he explained.
“The focus of my responsibilities has changed greatly from what it used to be, and I look forward to undertaking this new phase in my career. Being appointed as Managing Director not only gives me an opportunity to acquire new market insights, but also a chance to offer new perspectives to the Malaysian automotive financing market. In addition to getting acquainted with a new culture and new way of life, I intend to make time to find out where the company stands, who my colleagues are, and how we can work together in coming months and years,” Ponnaz added.
Ponnaz experienced two different cultures in his youth being born in Bangkok to a Thai mother and a Swiss father. He holds a Masters in Business Administration from the Sasin Graduate Institute of Business Administration, a joint programme with Kellogg University and Wharton.
