- The brand’s “New Mobility” and “Technical Development” divisions to be brought together as planned with effect from April 1, 2024, under the leadership of Board Member for Technical Development Kai Grünitz, Thomas Ulbrich to become Group Head of Development in China
- Efficient structures and stronger networking: the brand’s Technical Development to bundle technical project steering for future technologies and development under one roof going forward
- Volkswagen Brand Board of Management will comprise seven members in future
- CEO Schäfer: “This is the right step at the right time. New digital technologies will thus become an even more integral part of our future-oriented vehicle development. At the same time, we are making an important contribution to the brand’s performance program with more efficient structures and leaner processes.”
The Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand is trimming its Board of Management; subsequent to a pioneer phase for the “New Mobility” division, and in line with plans, the brand is integrating key elements of this division into Technical Development (TE). Led by Kai Grünitz, Volkswagen Brand Board Member for Technical Development, all development activities for future technologies and vehicle architectures (MEB and SSP) have already been bundled.
The development division also steers development volumes for ICE model series (MQB). In future, responsibility for series technical project management will rest exclusively with TE. In the context of the brand’s performance program, this course of action supports the further optimization of development processes in Wolfsburg and helps shorten development times. New software development processes for electric vehicles based on the MEB were specifically tested and established in the “New Mobility” division.
The transfer of these activities to the MQBevo has already taken place as planned, and the “New Mobility” division’s mission has been accomplished. Thomas Ulbrich, Volkswagen Brand Board Member for “New Mobility” since 2022, has been named the Volkswagen Group’s Head of Development in China effective April 1, 2024.
“On behalf of the entire team I would like to thank Thomas Ulbrich for his tremendous commitment to the Volkswagen brand. He has been a driving force behind the development of our ID. electric range and put some truly pioneering work into software and digital networking and the associated processes. This work is now bearing fruit and will be transferred in full to Technical Development. I am delighted that our close ties will continue once he has taken up his new role in China and that he will be contributing his expertise to the development of the VW brand in the world’s largest automobile market,” said Thomas Schäfer, CEO of the Volkswagen brand and Member of the Board of Management of Volkswagen AG, Brand Group Core. “Going forward, Kai Grünitz will be in charge of both the “New Mobility” future topics and Technical Development. This is the right step at the right time. New digital technologies will thus become an even more integral part of our future-oriented vehicle development. At the same time, we are making an important contribution to the brand’s performance program with more efficient structures and leaner processes.”
