Jonathan Browning to lead Volkswagen Group of America

Wolfsburg / Herndon, September 13, 2010 – Jonathan Browning (51) has been named President and CEO of Volkswagen Group of America effective October 1, 2010. He is currently responsible for the global directing of the Volkswagen Group’s National Sales Companies (NSC). Talking to journalists in Washington today (Monday) Christian Klingler, Member of the Board of Management of Volkswagen AG for Sales, said: "Volkswagen will play an even stronger role in the important US market going forward. Jonathan Browning is an acknowledged expert on this market, its customers and its sales structures."

Jonathan Browning succeeds Stefan Jacoby, who has left the company. Browning has held numerous executive sales and marketing posts worldwide at General Motors (GM) and Ford Motor Company. He was Vice President European Sales, Service and Marketing at the GM Group from 2001 to 2008, and simultaneously also Chairman of Vauxhall Motors from 2006 to 2008, becoming GM Vice President Global Sales, Service and Marketing in 2008.

Browning worked for the Ford Group from 1997 to 2001, first as Executive Director Marketing for Ford Europe and then as the Global Managing Director of Jaguar. He moved to the Volkswagen Group in June 2010.

"The USA will always be one of the largest and most important markets for automobiles," Klingler commented, adding that this offered the Volkswagen Group significant growth opportunities. The Board Member for Sales reiterated the target to sell 200,000 Audi brand models and 800,000 Volkswagen brand models in 2018. "Volkswagen and Audi will become leading brands in the USA." He noted that the Group is investing one billion dollars in the new Chattanooga plant, would be launching a unique marketing offensive in the USA and had celebrated the world premier of the Jetta in New York’s Times Square. According to Klingler: "The Group’s Board and top management fully support this market and its customers."

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Volkswagen Group Communications
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