FRANKFURT, May 28 (Reuters) - The former chief executive of Continental, Karl-Thomas Neumann, will head up starting in September Volkswagen's operations in China, the group's single largest market and a key source of growth.
A highly respected manager, electronics engineer and expert in hybrid and electric cars, the 49-year old Neumann returned to his previous employer after losing a power struggle to Continental's dominant shareholder Schaeffler last August.
Volkswagen Chief Executive Martin Winterkorn is said to be a big admirer of Neumann's ability and offered him a job as head of electric propulsion in November, by which time VW had already signed up to three different partnerships.
One of Volkswagen's most promising young executives, Neumann is a possible contender to succeed Winterkorn, but he still needs to make the jump to the management board that has already been achieved by recent board appointments Rupert Stadler of Audi and Christian Klingler, the VW group's head of sales.
The 53-year old Winfried Vahland, who took over as head of China in Juli 2005 and successfully restructured Volkswagen's operations there, is taking up the post of Skoda CEO starting September.
While VW's value brand has posted strong growth and profitability in recent years, Vahland will be responsible at Skoda for a sales volume of only about 700,000 cars -- roughly half the size of VW's retail figures in China.
Reinhard Jung will retire at the age of only 59. Some German newspapers had reported Winterkorn was unhappy with Skoda expanding too much into upmarket territory traditionally reserved for the VW brand, cannibalising sales of the group's flagship marque.
Rudolf Krebs, the 53 year-old head of VW's main engine plant in Salzgitter, Germany, will replace Neumann as head of electric propulsion.
(Reporting by Christiaan Hetzner) Keywords: VOLKSWAGEN/ (christiaan.hetzner@thomsonreuters.com; Reuters Messaging: christiaan.hetzner.reuters.com@reuters.net; +49 69 7565 1249) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2010. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.
A highly respected manager, electronics engineer and expert in hybrid and electric cars, the 49-year old Neumann returned to his previous employer after losing a power struggle to Continental's dominant shareholder Schaeffler last August.
Volkswagen Chief Executive Martin Winterkorn is said to be a big admirer of Neumann's ability and offered him a job as head of electric propulsion in November, by which time VW had already signed up to three different partnerships.
One of Volkswagen's most promising young executives, Neumann is a possible contender to succeed Winterkorn, but he still needs to make the jump to the management board that has already been achieved by recent board appointments Rupert Stadler of Audi and Christian Klingler, the VW group's head of sales.
The 53-year old Winfried Vahland, who took over as head of China in Juli 2005 and successfully restructured Volkswagen's operations there, is taking up the post of Skoda CEO starting September.
While VW's value brand has posted strong growth and profitability in recent years, Vahland will be responsible at Skoda for a sales volume of only about 700,000 cars -- roughly half the size of VW's retail figures in China.
Reinhard Jung will retire at the age of only 59. Some German newspapers had reported Winterkorn was unhappy with Skoda expanding too much into upmarket territory traditionally reserved for the VW brand, cannibalising sales of the group's flagship marque.
Rudolf Krebs, the 53 year-old head of VW's main engine plant in Salzgitter, Germany, will replace Neumann as head of electric propulsion.
(Reporting by Christiaan Hetzner) Keywords: VOLKSWAGEN/ (christiaan.hetzner@thomsonreuters.com; Reuters Messaging: christiaan.hetzner.reuters.com@reuters.net; +49 69 7565 1249) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2010. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.
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