Volkswagen (the car brand, not the automotive Group) just got a new Chief Executive Officer and it’s a familiar face for the company. Former Chief Operating Officer, Ralf Brandstätter
He joined Volkswagen in 1993 on the manufacturing side of things, but got himself a industrial engineering degree and moved up the ranks.
By 2010, Brandstätter was the Head of Group Procurement Exterior before becoming Head of Group Purchasing New Product Launches in 2012. By 2015, he was a General Representative of Volkswagen AG. He took on his role as Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand in August 2018.
Dr. Herbert Diess, the previous CEO of the Volkswagen Brand will focus on his other existing role as CEO of the Volkswagen Group.
Here’s the press release with more.
PRESS RELEASE
The Volkswagen Group is reassigning responsibilities for the management of the brand and the Group. The Volkswagen core brand is to be led by the brand’s previous COO, Ralf Brandstätter from July 1, 2020. The CEO of the Volkswagen Group, Dr. Herbert Diess, who had previously been responsible for both functions, will therefore receive greater leeway for his tasks as Group CEO. Within the Group Board of Management, he will retain overall responsibility for Volkswagen Passenger Cars and the Volume brand group. The objective will be a stronger focus on the tasks at the top level of the Group and the brand in the current transformation phase of the automotive industry. The Supervisory Board took note of this at its meeting held today.
Following the laying of strategic foundations over the past few years with consistent orientation towards e-mobility and the creation of structures for the digitalization of the automobile, the company is now strengthening the top management structures of the Volkswagen Group and brand. The Group Board of Management therefore decided at its meeting held today to appoint Ralf Brandstätter as CEO of the Volkswagen brand effective July 1, 2020.
After a record year in 2019, the brand is outstandingly well- positioned for the future. Volkswagen has successfully completed the first phase of the Transform 2025+ strategy. The company is now embarking on the next phase. The broad-based electric offensive will now be-come tangible with new vehicles on the roads. Volkswagen is paving the way to zero-emission mobility for everyone. By 2025, at least 1.5 million electric cars are to be sold. In addition to elec-trification, the brand will also forge ahead with digitalization over the coming years.
Ralf Brandstätter was born in Brunswick on September 8, 1968. After training as a shopfitter at the Volkswagen plant in Brunswick, he studied industrial engineering and joined the Volkswagen Group in 1993. Following positions in international project steering in the procurement division, he became an assistant to the Board of Management in the General Secretariat of Volkswagen AG. In 1998 he took charge of metal procurement for chassis and powertrain components and was made project manager for new vehicle projects in 2003. In 2005 he moved to Spain as head of procurement at SEAT. He became the member of the SEAT Executive Committee responsible for Purchasing in 2008. Brandstätter was named Head of Group Procurement Exterior in 2010. He was appointed Head of Group Purchasing New Product Launches in 2012 and was made a General Representative of Volkswagen AG in October 2015. Ralf Brandstätter was appointed a member of the Board of Management of the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand in December 2015.. Brandstätter has been Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand since August 1, 2018.
