On December 17th, Mercedes-Benz Group announced a management appointment: Gorden Wagener will officially step down as Chief Design Officer of Mercedes-Benz on January 31st, 2026, and his position will be taken over by Bastian Baudy, the current Chief Design Officer of the Mercedes-AMG brand, effective February 1st, 2026.

Bastian Baudy has held various positions in Mercedes-Benz's design department since 2010 and currently serves as Chief Design Officer of Mercedes-AMG, having created concept cars such as the AMG Vision Gran Turismo and Concept IAA. Since 2023, he has been responsible for the design of all AMG brand products, covering exterior, interior, and user interface. Through this appointment, Mercedes-Benz aims to rely on an experienced designer to lay the foundation for the next chapter of the brand's design language.