VOLKSWAGEN Group Australia (VGA) has appointed Karsten Seifert as its new managing director, succeeding Paul Sansom who left the company late last year.

Mr Seifert was previously Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles executive director of European and international sales.

He has extensive experience with the Volkswagen Group in numerous leadership roles across a variety of brands including Volkswagen, Audi and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles.

Mr Seifert has served as executive director of the VW Commercial Vehicles European fleet business, head of fleet and business development for Europe as well as head of market planning sales for North and South America.

He has previously been stationed in South Korea as well as working closely with South America and specific projects in India, which have allowed him to gain intensive international market knowledge.

Since Mr Sansom left, VGA chief financial officer Gabriele De Neidels has been the interim managing director.

Commercial: Seifert joins Volkswagen Group Australia as MD following global experience in VW’s commercial vehicles division.

In thanking her for her leadership during the past year, Mr Seifert said: “VGA has emerged from the critical supply issues of the past few years in a strong position to transform into a leading provider of battery-electric vehicles, while continuing to offer a conventional passenger and commercial model portfolio that is also unmatched.

“Audi and Cupra have BEVs in the market today with more models scheduled; Volkswagen will have an array of BEV models in Australia by 2025 and Skoda at least two. In five years, VGA will be selling more BEVs than conventional vehicles.”

VGA employs about 300 people to handle all aspects of VGA’s operations – supporting sales growth, dealership networks, customer experience, service facilities and media/public communications.

In addition, thousands more are employed through the more than 180 brand dealerships nationwide.

VGA appointed Paul Sansom as managing director on January 1, 2022. He was previously managing director of Audi Australia and at VGA, he succeeded Michael Bartsch who was posted to Volkswagen of America.

Mr Sansom left VGA in December 2022 after 11 months to take on a new, undefined role outside of the company.