TELEMATICS solutions company Netstar Australia has appointed automotive executive Michael Bartsch as managing director.

It described Mr Bartsch as having a distinguished career over four decades in the automotive industry and bringing a wealth of experience and a robust network across OEMs, major retail groups, fleet operators, and financial institutions.

Netstar said these qualities will be critical to the company’s ongoing growth and innovation in GPS tracking, asset tracking, fleet tracking and government compliance.

Mr Bartsch retired from Volkswagen Group in June 2022 after a six-year assignment as managing director of Volkswagen Group Australia.

Michael Bartsch

During his tenure, he played a pivotal role in rebuilding and repositioning the Volkswagen brand locally. His leadership extended to growing and anchoring Skoda sales, launching the Barcelona-based Cupra marque, and integrating Audi into the Australian VW Group legal entity.

He also served as deputy chair of the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries, where he successfully led efforts to overhaul vehicle emissions standards governance and electric vehicle policy at both state and national levels.

Prior to his time with Volkswagen, Mr Bartsch was vice president of Infiniti Americas (Nissan) and was executive vice president and COO of Porsche Cars North America for more than a decade.

His extensive experience includes two terms as managing director of Porsche Cars Canada and 10 years as director of sales and marketing for Porsche Cars Australia.

Netstar group managing director Grant Fraser said: “We are thrilled to welcome Michael Bartsch to the Netstar family.”

“His extensive industry experience and proven leadership in both the local and international automotive markets make him an invaluable addition to our team.

“Michael’s ability to drive process improvement and his commitment to leading people aligns perfectly with our strategic goals.

“We are confident that under his leadership, Netstar Australia will continue to achieve remarkable growth and success.”

Netstar said Mr Bartsch’s appointment marked a significant milestone for Netstar Australia as the company continued to expand its footprint and enhance its service offerings.

It said that his track record of driving brand transformation, fostering industry relationships, and advocating for progressive automotive policies underscores his capability to lead Netstar into a new era of innovation and excellence.