By SEMA News Editors
Mercedes-Benz USA Appoints Nicolette Lambrechts as VP of Customer Services
Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) has announced the appointment of Nicolette Lambrechts as vice president of Customer Services, succeeding Jee-Sop Kim, effective November 1, 2025. Lambrechts will join the MBUSA executive team in Atlanta, Georgia.
"We are pleased to welcome Nicolette back to the North American leadership team. Her global perspective, extensive experience with the brand and proven leadership acumen positions her well to further elevate the customer experience and strengthen connections with our dealer network and customers throughout the ownership journey," said Adam Chamberlain, president and CEO of Mercedes-Benz USA.
Lambrechts joined Mercedes-Benz South Africa in 2001 as a Graduate Trainee. In 2002, she took over the position of sales planner for Chrysler Jeep and was promoted in 2004 to distribution and logistics manager for commercial vehicles. Between 2008 and 2014, Lambrechts held key leadership positions as the national sales manager and brand manager for Mercedes-Benz Vans in South Africa.
In 2014, Lambrechts was appointed managing director of the Vans Division for Mercedes-Benz South Africa, and in 2017, she became managing director of Vans for Mercedes-Benz Canada. From there, she joined the MBUSA Vans team in 2019 as general manager, Sales, and was subsequently appointed to the role of managing director of Vans for MBUSA in 2021.
In May 2023, Lambrechts transitioned to Mercedes-Benz global headquarters in Stuttgart as the head of Region Overseas for Mercedes-Benz Vans. Since July 1, 2024, she served as the head of Vans Global Sales and Marketing Operations.
Porsche Previews Inductive Charging With Cayenne Electric Prototype
Porsche is set to introduce inductive charging technology with the upcoming Cayenne Electric, debuting at the 2025 Internationale Automobil-Ausstellung (IAA) Mobility show in Munich. Using a wireless floor plate, owners can charge at home without cables or plugs simply by parking over the plate. The system delivers up to 11 kW and will be integrated into the My Porsche app for monitoring and scheduling. The Cayenne Electric will automatically lower to optimize alignment, with built-in safety features like motion detection and foreign-object interruption. Porsche Wireless Charging launches first in Europe in 2026, with other markets to follow. Want to see it for yourself? A prototype with fluorescent electroluminescent paint, which glows when electricity flows, is on display at the IAA Show, Tuesday, September 9, through Sunday, September 14.
I-CAR Announces 2025 Board of Directors Election Results and Governance Updates
I-CAR® (the Inter-Industry Conference on Auto Collision Repair), one of the collision repair industry's leaders in technical educational programming, related technical services and industry talent solutions, announced the results of its 2025 Board of Directors election.
I-CAR regular members approved the election of four representatives:
- Ryan Downs, Crash Champions: Elected to a three-year term representing the collision repair segment (At-Large)
- Paul Krauss, Caliber Collision (incumbent): Re-elected to a three-year term representing the collision repair segment (Large MSO)
- Laura Lozano, Contra Costa College: Elected to a three-year term representing the education segment
- Ed Mondragon, State Farm Insurance: Elected to a three-year term representing the insurance segment
In addition, the I-CAR Board of Directors released a letter from Chair Jennifer Goforth detailing the approval of a bylaws update. For more information, visit I-CAR.com.
ITOCHU Invests in MOTER Technologies to Advance Smart Insurance Solutions
ITOCHU Corporation has taken an equity stake in MOTER Technologies, a California-based developer of real-time, in-vehicle insurance software. The partnership combines MOTER's edge-computing insurance platforms with ITOCHU's global network, with the goal of accelerating personalized insurance solutions that adapt to connected and autonomous vehicle technologies.
The collaboration will expand MOTER's OEM-branded programs in the United States, enhance reinsurance through ITOCHU's subsidiaries and support new service development in health and mobility. Both companies said the alliance will help create safer, more sustainable insurance and financial models for the evolving automotive industry.
For more information, visit the ITOCHU website.
