Over the past few years, the Volkswagen Group has been consistent with its orientation towards e-mobility and creating structures for digitalization of the automobile sector, the company is now strengthening its top management members of the Volkswagen Group and brand. The reshuffle across the group led to the company promoting its COO, Ralf Brandstatter to the role of brand’s CEO.
Ralf Brandstatter 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. Brandstatter 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 Brandstatter was appointed a member of the Board of Management of the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand in December 2015. Brandstatter has been Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand since August 1, 2018.
“Ralf Brandstatter is one of the company’s most experienced managers. Over the past two years, he has already led Volkswagen successfully as COO and played a key role in shaping the transformation of the brand,” said the CEO of Volkswagen AG, Dr Herbert Diess. “I am therefore very pleased that Ralf Brandstatter will be forging ahead with the development of the brand as CEO following the far-reaching strategic decisions of the past few years.”
After a successful year in 2019, Volkswagen successfully completed the first phase of the transform 2025+ strategy. The company is now working on the next phase. By 2025, Volkswagen claims to sell at least 15 lakh units of electric cars.
As a brand, Volkswagen is developing into one of the leading companies to offer carbon-neutral mobility and will become a digital technology company. It will be interesting to see where Volkswagen goes under Brandstatter’s direction.
Volkswagen India has also shown its consistent efforts in keeping its portfolio upgraded with the BS6 models of the Polo and Vento. Recently at the Auto Expo 2020, the brand unveiled the all-new Tiguan All-Space, the T-Roc and the Taigun as well.