Former Ford Exec to Lead Volkswagen Group Marketing

Volkswagen today names former Ford marketer Jürgen Stackmann to lead marketing at the Volkswagen Group and Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand, taking over from Luca de Meo, who becomes the board of management member for sales and marketing at Audi.

In his new role, effective Sept. 1, Stackmann reports to Christian Klingler, VW board member for sales and marketing.

Stackmann joined the VW Group in 2010 as member of the board responsible for sales and marketing at the Skoda Czech Republic subsidiary.

He began his career with Ford in 1989, where he held jobs in Germany and the U.K., including marketing director for Ford’s German plants and vice president-marketing for Ford Europe in London.

The change comes as VW undertakes an extensive structural and management realignment, including a new board of management dedicated solely to China to be led by Jochem Heizmann, now board member responsible for commercial vehicles. He replaces Karl-Thomas Neuman, who served as head of VW’s operations in China but was not a board of management member.

Leif Oestling becomes president and CEO of VW-controlled truck maker Scania, and joins the board of management in charge of CV operations.

In a related move, Johan de Nysschen, former head of Audi of America, has stepped down to become senior vice president of Nissan’s Infiniti luxury brand worldwide, effective July 1. It’s unclear whether his decision is linked to VW’s management reshuffling.