The crisis-hit Volkswagen brand says it is progressing as planned with its regionalisation strategy and is creating a new regional structure in South America.
David Powels is to head the region of South America, Central America and the Caribbean in addition to his current function of President and CEO of Volkswagen do Brasil. He is thus responsible for all activities of the Volkswagen brand in the region. Thomas Owsianski becomes vice president of sales and marketing for the South American Region. In addition he will be a board member of Volkswagen do Brasil.
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David Powels qualified as a chartered accountant and also obtained a professional qualification from the British Institute of Cost and Management Accountants. In 1989, he began his career at Volkswagen of South Africa as a tax accountant in the finance division. Following posts in group finance and controlling and finance controlling at Audi in Germany, he became finance director at Volkswagen of South Africa in 1998. He moved to Volkswagen do Brasil as vice president finance and corporate strategy in 2002. He was appointed managing director of Volkswagen of South Africa in 2007, and became President and CEO of Volkswagen do Brasil in 2015.
As vice president sales and marketing for the South America Region, Thomas Owsianski will report to Powels. Functionally, Owsianski becomes a member of the global sales and marketing leadership team of Volkswagen brand’s board member for sales, Jürgen Stackmann. Owsianski, currently executive director Skoda sales and marketing business at SVW in China, has extensive international experience in senior sales and marketing functions in the automotive industry and will take up his new duties at the latest on 1 October 2016.
