Volkswagen’s Audi named the German group’s strategy chief as its new CEO on Thursday, as the luxury carmaker seeks to catch up with rivals in the dash towards electrification, including in China, the world’s top car market.
Gernot Doellner, who replaces Markus Duesmann, will become CEO with effect from September, Audi said, after the luxury automaker’s supervisory board passed a resolution on Thursday.
Gernot Doellner holds a degree in mechanical engineering. He joined Volkswagen as a Ph.D. candidate in 1993 and subsequently served in a few management roles at Porsche AG, including as head of Concept Development and head of the Panamera Series. Since 2021, he has overseen the Volkswagen Group’s Product and Group Strategy and the General Secretariat. “Audi is a fantastic company with a rich history,” Doellner said, adding, “I look forward to shaping the company’s future together with the entire team at Audi.”
Duesmann’s replacement is the second major leadership reshuffle at Volkswagen Group on Chief Executive Oliver Blume’s watch, after he dismissed all but one of the executive team at software unit Cariad and appointed Bentley production chief Peter Bosch as its head.
