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 1 July, 2020.

In a statement the company said 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.

VW Group said that following the laying of strategic foundations over the past few years, the company is now strengthening the top management structures of the Volkswagen Group and brand.

“Ralf Brandstätter 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 trans- formation of the brand,” said the CEO of Volkswagen AG, Dr. Herbert Diess. “I am therefore very pleased that Ralf Brandstätter will be forging ahead with the development of the brand as CEO following the far-reaching strategic decisions of the past few years.”

“For Volkswagen, the 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 mobil- ity and is on the way to becoming a digital technology company. I would like to thank the entire Volkswagen team for their tremendous commitment. We will follow our path resolutely together,” says Ralf Brandstätter.

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Enter your work email
First Name
Last Name
Company Name
Job title *
Phone number *
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

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.