Brand Group Core appoints new leaders for key market and sales positions

Marco Schubert appointed as a member of the Extended Executive Committee for the North American Region effective October 1, 2026. He will therefore assume responsibility for the overall strategy of North America region
Martin Sander succeeds Schubert, moving from Volkswagen to Audi as new Board Member for Sales and Marketing and member of the Extended Group Executive Committee
Martin Jahn takes on the role of Board Member for Sales, Marketing and After Sales at Volkswagen
At Škoda, Martina Biene assumes Jahn's responsibilities as new Board Member for Sales and Marketing
Christiane Zorn is becoming the new Chair and Managing Director of Volkswagen Group Africa

Brand Group Core (BGC), the organizational alliance of the volume brands within the Volkswagen Group, is reshuffling key responsibilities in markets and sales.

Thomas Schäfer, Member of the Group Board of Management, CEO of the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand and CEO of Brand Group Core: "With Marco Schubert, we are gaining a proven sales and brand expert for North America. The market is of central importance to Volkswagen, and we want to significantly strengthen our impact there. What is decisive is that we move closer to our customers and dealers and develop the right vehicles for the market, from within the market. Just as we are already doing in China and Europe today. Over the past months, we have developed a clear plan to achieve this. Marco Schubert knows our brands, our strengths and the international markets from many years of experience. He will drive forward this new strategy, and with it the transformation of our business in North America, with speed and determination. I look forward to working closely with him."

Going forward, Volkswagen in North America will focus on those segments that show the strongest market demand and best meet the needs of customers and dealers in the region. Successful models will be further strengthened, the portfolio expanded, and Volkswagen’s presence in the growing HEV (Hybrid Electric Vehicle) segment accelerated. In line with its “In China, for China” and “In Europe, for Europe” strategies, Volkswagen will also pursue a dedicated North America strategy. As part of this approach, the brand will explore opportunities in the highly popular body-on-frame B-segment, including robust SUVs and pick-up trucks, as a potential component of Volkswagen’s future product portfolio.

The Volkswagen Group press release with statement of Oliver Blume is available via this link.

Thomas Schäfer added: "We have a strong leadership team in place for Volkswagen in North America, which will consistently implement our strategy in this important automotive market. This is not about short-term success, but about a robust strategy that secures sustainable profitability and is clearly focused on the needs of North American customers."

Martin Sander will succeed Marco Schubert as the new Member of the Board of Management for Sales and Marketing at the Audi brand from October 1, 2026. He will also become a member of the Extended Executive Committee of Volkswagen Group, reporting directly to the CEO of Volkswagen Group. Sander is currently the Board Member for Sales, Marketing and After Sales at the Volkswagen brand.

Martin Jahn will succeed Martin Sander as of 1 October 2026 as member of the Volkswagen Brand Board of Management responsible for Sales, Marketing and After Sales.Jahn’s current role is as member of the Škoda Board of Directors with responsibility for Sales and Marketing.

Martina Biene is taking over Martin Jahn’s role as of 1 October2026 and will lead Sales and Marketing at Škoda. Biene is currently Chair and Managing Director of Volkswagen Group Africa.

Christiane Zorn is becoming the new Chair and Managing Director of Volkswagen Group Africa. She is taking on this role from Martina Biene 1 October2026 and will report directly to Thomas Schäfer.

Thomas Schäfer: "Markets are changing rapidly, and decisive action is required. That makes it all the more important to place leaders with the right experience in the right responsibility at the right time. That is exactly what we are doing. From North America via Volkswagen to Škoda, we are creating a seamless handover of the baton with experienced leaders who know our brands, our customers and our markets. On the one hand, this provides stability, and on the other, it accelerates the pace of change where we need it now."

Marco Schubert has more than 25 years of experience at the Volkswagen Group, during which he has successfully held numerous key leadership positions in important international markets. At Audi, he headed, among other things, the North Europe Region and worked as Managing Director in Sweden. He was then Head of Sales for Asia and the overseas markets at Škoda until 2018.
As President of the Audi Sales Company in China, the native of Magdeburg spent three years managing the sales activities of the world’s most important individual automotive market in a challenging global environment. He then assumed responsibility for Region Europe at Porsche.
Since September 2024, Marco Schubert has served as a Member of the Board of Management for Sales and Marketing at Audi and as a member of the Extended Executive Committee of Volkswagen Group with responsibility for Sales, Marketing and After Sales.
Marco Schubert has future-proofed sales at Volkswagen Group – also by realigning fleet management, improving after sales performance and sustainably strengthening collaboration between OEMs, importers and dealers.

Martin Sander, who holds a degree in engineering, brings 25 years of experience in the automotive industry. During his tenure at Audi AG, he served in a range of leadership roles across North America and Europe, including as Senior Vice President of Sales for Europe, Germany, Americas and the UK. Sander was Chairman of the Board of Management of Ford-Werke GmbH and General Manager Ford Model e for Ford of Europe. Since July 2024, he has been responsible for Sales, Marketing and After Sales as a member of the Board of Management of Volkswagen Passenger Cars.

Martin Jahn began his career in the Volkswagen Group in 2006 as Board Member for Human Resources at Škoda. He was subsequently appointed as Managing Director of Volkswagen Group NSC in Russia, where he was responsible for Group Sales. From 2010 to 2016, Jahn became Managing Director of the Volkswagen Group’s international fleet business in Wolfsburg. In 2016, he was appointed Executive Vice President for Sales & Marketing and Managing Director of the Volkswagen brand at FAW-VW in Changchun, China. Jahn has been Board Member for Sales and Marketing at Škoda Auto since March 2021.

Martina Biene joined Volkswagen in 2001. She fulfilled various roles in the Volkswagen Group including Strategy and Sales of Premium Vehicles, Area Sales Manager for Belgium and Luxembourg, Head of Product Planning for Germany, Head of Global Product Marketing and Head of the Volkswagen Brand in South Africa. In August 2020, she was appointed as Head of Volkswagen’s Small and Compact Product Line. Since September 2022, she has served as Chair and Managing Director of Volkswagen Group Africa.

Christiane Zorn has worked in the automotive industry for 20 years. After several years as a consultant at the Boston Consulting Group, she joined BMW in 2013, with posts in Munich and Beijing. Starting in March 2020, she held various management roles at Audi, including as Head of Sales China, Head of Product Marketing and Head of Product Strategy. In May 2025, she joined Porsche AG as Vice President Region Overseas.