The most striking thing about Bodo Uebber, given Daimler's history, may be that the carmaker's CFO gets on well with his chief executive.

The German group's management was weakened in the past by two heavyweights - CEO Jürgen Schrempp and CFO Manfred Gentz - often pulling in opposite directions over the best part of a decade. Mr Uebber's relations with Dieter Zetsche, the current chief executive, are far better.