Gordon Wagener

by Gauk
Mon, Nov 7, 2016 1:54 AM

Gorden Wagener was born on 3 September 1968 in Essen.

After studying Industrial Design at the University of Essen (1990-1993), he specialized his studies in Transportation Design at The Royal College of Art in London. Before he joined Mercedes-Benz in 1997, he worked as an exterior designer at Volkswagen, Mazda and GM.

He began his career as Exterior Designer in 1995, and joined Mercedes-Benz in Sindelfingen two years later.

In 1999, he became head of the Exterior Interior Styling department, designing the models of the GL-, M- and R-Class with his team.

In 2002, Wagener was responsible for the design of the models making up the A-, B-, C-, E-, CLK- and CLS-Class.

Since 2006, the diploma’ed designer has been directing the Advanced Design department and acted as director of the Mercedes design studios in California and Japan. He was appointed as head of Strategic Advanced Design in 2007.

In 2009 he received the title of Professor Honoris Causa from the Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design in Budapest. In 2010 he was awarded an honorary doctorate from the Technical University of Sofia.

Gorden Wagener has been Vice President Design for the worldwide operating design unit of Daimler AG since mid-2008. For him, design defines brands and a holistic approach is essential. Not only the products but also the brands of Daimler AG must be staged perfectly. He and his international team are therefore responsible for the design of all brands and products within Daimler AG, including all cars as well as a holistic corporate design of all brands. The focus is on the brand Mercedes-Benz. Under his leadership, the new design philosophy of sensual purity was created in 2009, which is now being continually developed. It defines modern luxury and expresses an essential aspect of the brand – the bipolarity of intelligence and emotion.

A variety of models bear Gorden Wagener's signature as Vice President Design, such as the new E-, C- and S-Class models, the GLE Coupé and GLC SUVs, the Mercedes-AMG GT as well as smart and the commercial vehicles of the company.