Daimler AG appointed Stephen Cannon as chief executive of Mercedes-Benz U.S.A. effective January 1, 2012.

Cannon, who was most recently vice president of marketing for the company known for luxury brands such as Maybach, replaces Ernst Lieb, who was dismissed in October.

Cannon will lead the Montvale, New Jersey-based company's more than 1,700 employees and 356 dealers throughout the United States.

(Reporting by Soham Chatterjee in Bangalore. Editing by Gunna Dickson)

Daimler AG