Volkswagen America’s CEO abruptly resigned yesterday, but the automaker won’t be long without a top executive. This morning, the company announced Rivian Chief Commercial Officer Kjell Gruner as his replacement. Di Si has led VW since late 2022.
VW Group CFO Arno Antlitz said, “We would like to thank Pablo Di Si, who, together with his local team, has made a lasting contribution to strengthening the American regions of our group. In Kjell Gruner, we have brought on board an experienced expert who knows the market and customers very well and will continue to consistently pursue the growth path we have embarked on.”
Gruner spent a few years as Porsche Cars North America’s CEO and, before that, Porsche AG’s global VP of marketing. He left the German automaker to work for Rivian in late 2023 but spent less than a year there, resigning in July of this year.
VW’s global operations are in a bit of a weird spot at the moment. It recently announced the first-ever closure of one of its German factories to cut costs. The company has also admitted that its product lineup is less competitive than its rivals. It has shuffled planned vehicle releases as EV demand has taken a different trajectory than expected.
[Images: Volkswagen]
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Source: The Truth About Cars
