VOLKSWAGEN Group has rearranged the furniture with the outgoing president and CEO of Porsche Cars North America, Klaus Zellmer, becoming board member for sales, marketing and after sales at Volkswagen Passenger Cars.

He replaces Juergen Stackmann who is leaving Volkswagen Group after five years on the board and guiding the first five years of VW’s Transform 2025+ plan.

Volkswagen Passenger Cars CEO Ralf Brandstatter said Mr Stackmann had steered the sales department “through challenging times with great commitment and competence” and prepared the company for “the major transformation issues facing our industry.”

He joined Skoda in 2010 as sales and marketing board member after 21 years with Ford, lastly as managing director and general of manager sales and marketing for Ford Werke AG.

Mr Zellmer is a graduate economist and has been with Porsche for 23 years. He moved from Germany to France with Porsche in 1999 and then returned to Stuttgart later that year as regional manager for North America.

He was appointed Porsche’s director of sales and marketing in 2002 and in 2007, head of marketing.

He became CEO of Porsche Germany in 2010 then appointed president and CEO of Porsche Cars North America based in Atlanta, USA, in 2015.

By Neil Dowling