Former Mercedes-Benz USA CEO Steve Cannon.

Steve Cannon, the former head of Mercedes-Benz USA, is switching careers, becoming CEO of Atlanta-based AMB Group, a sports and business empire that includes the Atlanta Falcons football team.

Cannon unexpectedly left Mercedes this week after four years as its U.S. president and chief executive officer, and initial reports – including one on TheDetroitBureau.com – had speculated he was nudged aside due to the weakening performance of the German luxury brand.

In fact, the former military officer will take over day-to-day management and strategy for the AMB Group following the official retirement of its founder Arthur M. Blank. Cannon will handle of the company’s for-profit operations.

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In a statement, Blank said, ““I have a strong desire to spend more quality time with my family, as well as to concentrate more of my time on our philanthropic endeavors, and Steve’s hiring will allow me to do those things.”

Blank stressed that he will still retain ties to the AMB Group, and some duties, including a position as AMB’s chairman, “working closely with Cannon on overall strategy.”

Cannon, in the middle, at the launch of the Mercedes-Maybach S600 in 2014.

Among his new duties, Cannon will run the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons, Major League Soccer’s Atlanta United FC; the PGA TOUR Superstore; and Mountain Sky Guest Ranch. AMB also runs the Atlanta Falcons Stadium Company, which runs the newly named Mercedes-Benz Stadium set to open in 2017.

During his tenure at the helm of Mercedes-Benz USA, Cannon oversaw the move of most of the company’s operations from Northern New Jersey to Atlanta – which means he won’t have to move again for his new job.

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Cannon was named CEO of Mercedes-Benz USA shortly after the unexpected ouster of Ernst Lieb in November 2011. Though well liked and credited with driving a significant upturn in sales, Lieb was  accused of violating corporate ethics policies and summarily dismissed.

Cannon initially won kudos for maintaining Mercedes’ momentum. He had plenty to work with, the German maker launching an unprecedented array of new products, including the critical new entry-luxury models, the CLA and GLA.

Former MBUSA CEO Cannon with actor John Hamm at the debut of the Mercedes S63 AMG.

But Cannon may wind up being best remembered for overseeing the move of the U.S. sales subsidiary to a new campus in Atlanta, Georgia. It was a challenging move and the maker lost a sizable share of its 1,500 American employees. But insiders say it didn’t experience the sort of internal turmoil that often accompanies a major corporate move.

Once in Atlanta, Mercedes moved fast to put its stamp on the new home town, signed a mega-million-dollar deal for naming rights on the new Atlanta Falcons football stadium. Mercedes continues to be the title sponsor for the Superdome stadium in New Orleans.

To fill the CEO spot, Mercedes has appointed Dietmar Exler as the new head of its U.S. sales subsidiary. The Austrian native earned a law degree at Johannes Kepler University in Linz, then moving to the U.S. to study at the University of Chicago.

He will face some challenges in his new post. Mercedes sales tumbled 10.2% in November while rival BMW was up 1.2%. For the first 11 months of 2015, Mercedes was still up 4.2%, BMW gaining 4.9% during the same period.

The critical American luxury market has seen a three-way race for leadership this year, pitting Mercedes against not only its Bavarian rival but also Japan’s Lexus.

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