Effective October 1, 2026, Leopoldo Grajales assumes the dual roles of Chief Financial Officer and Chief Executive Officer at Mercedes-Benz Italia. He replaces Marco Reas, who exits the firm at year’s end after 23 years of service. Reas played a central part in securing the Stuttgart-based automaker’s standing in the Italian market. This leadership swap initiates a major structural shift within the local organization.
Grajales, born in 1982 in Mexico City, currently heads Mercedes-Benz Financial Services Italy. His appointment follows a career spanning several continents and major automotive markets. He is not a newcomer to the Daimler group, having joined the financial arm in Mexico in 2011. At that time, he worked as a Senior Controlling Manager, leveraging a background in investment banking and mergers and acquisitions.
A Career Built Across Global Markets
In 2016, Grajales moved to Mercedes-Benz Automobile Finance in China. There, he took on roles of increasing responsibility, including Director of Controlling and Portfolio Risk Management. He also served as CFO and as a board member for several companies within the group. His work there focused on strengthening financial steering and strategic decision-making processes in what is one of the world’s most competitive automotive markets.
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His path then led him to Germany in 2022, where he joined Mercedes-Benz Mobility AG as Finance Director. He guided global strategic initiatives before returning to Italy in 2023. Since then, he has served as CFO of Mercedes-Benz Financial Services Italy. From October 2025, he also assumed the role of CEO for the same entity. In this capacity, he has promoted programs focused on transformation, innovation, and business development. These efforts aimed to boost performance, resilience, and market positioning.
Merging Functions Under One Roof
The new role for Grajales is not just a personnel change; it is part of a broader reorganization. The company states that this restructuring unites all customer-facing functions under a single structure. This includes sales, after-sales services, and financial services. The financial segment specifically covers leasing, financing, and insurance products. The goal is to improve coordination across the entire customer journey, from the initial vehicle purchase to its long-term management.
This consolidation suggests a move toward a more integrated approach to customer relationships. By bringing these distinct departments together, the firm may find it easier to align pricing, service delivery, and financial offerings. It could also streamline internal communication and decision-making processes. However, such mergers often present operational challenges in aligning different corporate cultures and workflows. The success of this unified structure will likely depend on how smoothly these previously separate teams can collaborate in the coming months.
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Reas, who is departing, has been with the company for over two decades. His tenure saw the brand handle various market conditions and undergo significant transformations. Under his guidance, Mercedes-Benz Italia maintained a strong market presence. The outgoing leader is credited with building the foundations for sustainable long-term growth. His departure marks the end of an era for the local subsidiary.
Leadership Acknowledges the Transition
Marc Langenbrinck, President of Mercedes-Benz Italia, commented on the change in leadership. He expressed confidence that Grajales’ international experience will be a key asset in this new phase. “We are certain that Leopoldo’s international experience will be decisive in this new and delicate reorganizational phase,” Langenbrinck said. He noted that the new structure unites all customer-related functions, including sales, after-sales, and financial services.
Langenbrinck also took the opportunity to thank Marco Reas for his contributions. “I want to thank Marco Reas, who for 23 years has been a point of reference for the entire organization,” he stated. He highlighted Reas’s strategic vision, managerial competence, and professional integrity. According to Langenbrinck, under Reas’s leadership, the company successfully handled major transformations and strengthened its market position. The president wished Grajales luck in his new challenge, calling it an important task for the future of the business.
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The transition takes effect from the start of October 2026. This timeline allows for a handover period where both leaders can work together. It ensures that critical projects and strategic plans are transferred smoothly. The firm has not provided specific details on how day-to-day operations will change immediately following the handover.
However, the emphasis on unifying customer functions suggests that internal processes will undergo significant adjustments. Employees in sales and financial services will likely find themselves working within a more integrated framework. This could lead to new reporting lines and collaborative projects that were previously difficult to execute across departmental silos. The focus remains on enhancing the overall customer experience through a more cohesive organizational structure.
