Brandstaetter tasked with driving VW’s EV program

VOLKSWAGEN has appointed its former chief operating officer, Ralf Brandstaetter, as its new brand CEO and tasked him with driving the brand towards its zero-emission mobility and electric vehicle goals.

Mr Brandstaetter starts in the role as of July 1 and will replace Herbert Diess who will focus on his other role as CEO of the Volkswagen Group, including Audi, Bentley and Porsche.

Volkswagen says the appointment was part of a “reassigning of responsibilities” for the brand and larger group after Mr Diess was criticised over the delay in launching the new ID.3 electric hatchback, caused by ongoing software problems.

“Ralf Brandstaetter is one of the company’s most experienced managers,” Volkswagen said in a statement.

Mr Diess voiced his approval of Mr Brandstaetter, recognising his already sizeable contribution to the brand,

“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,” he said.

“I am therefore very pleased that Ralf Brandstaetter will be forging ahead with the development of the brand as CEO following the far-reaching strategic decisions of the past few years.”
                                                                                    
Volkswagen says it had a record year in 2019 and was “outstandingly well-positioned for the future” and has successfully completed the first phase of the Transform 2025+ strategy first presented by Mr Diess in November 2016.

The strategy stated that Volkswagen would be the world leader in e-mobility by 2025 and would develop the industry’s strongest digital ecosystem.

Transform 2025+ – which was presented by Mr Diess under the “Volkswagen: Moving People Forward” maxim – also strives to make clearer brand positioning of the group’s products in its global markets and product segments.

The brand says it is now embarking on the next phase of the strategy with its “broad-based electric offensive now becoming 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,” it said in a statement.

“In addition to electrification, the brand will also forge ahead with digitalisation over the coming years.”

Mr Brandstaetter said Volkswagen’s course towards the future “has been set”.

“On the basis of the Transform 2025+ strategy, the brand is developing into one of the leading providers of carbon-neutral mobility and is on the way to becoming a digital technology company,” he said.

“I would like to thank the entire Volkswagen team for their tremendous commitment. We will follow our path resolutely together.”

Mr Brandstaetter was born in Brunswick, Germany, 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, specifically 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 before becoming the member of the Seat executive committee responsible for purchasing in 2008. 

Mr Brandstaetter 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. 

He was appointed a member of the board of management of the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand in December 2015 and has been COO of the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand since August 1, 2018.