Volkswagen appoints new brand board chief

Martin Sander implements revolutionary sales and marketing strategies on the Volkswagen board

"Martin Sander joins the Volkswagen brand board team, bringing with him extensive experience in sales and marketing"

Martin Sander, an experienced leader in the automotive industry, will head the sales, marketing and after-sales division at Volkswagen. On 1 July 2024, he will take up his position on the board of the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand. Martin Sander succeeds Imelda Labbe, who has led this area for the past two years.

The chairman of the Volkswagen brand board, Thomas Schäfer, expressed enthusiasm about Martin Sander joining the team, emphasising his extensive experience and knowledge. "We are gaining an experienced expert, a proven leader with many years of experience in the automotive industry and in the Volkswagen Group," said Schäfer.

Martin Sander joins Volkswagen after a successful career at Ford Motor Company, where he was chairman of the board of Ford-Werke and general manager of Ford Model e at Ford of Europe. Under his leadership, electric vehicles as well as software and services for vehicles in Europe were developed.

Before joining Ford, Martin Sander held a number of key positions at Audi AG in North America and Europe. His extensive experience includes roles as vice president for sales in Europe, Germany, the Americas and the United Kingdom. Born in Hildesheim, Sander graduated from the Technical University of Braunschweig with an engineering degree.

Imelda Labbe, whom Sander is succeeding, has more than 35 years of experience in the international automotive industry. Before joining the Volkswagen Group, she held key positions at Opel and General Motors, including head of quality at the Opel plant in Antwerp and head of Opel sales on the German market.

In 2013, Labbe joined the Volkswagen Group as spokeswoman for the Skoda board in Germany. She later took up the position of head of the after-sales department at the Volkswagen Group, and most recently was responsible for business development at Volkswagen AG.

Martin Sander brings with him extensive experience and a fresh perspective on the development of Volkswagen's sales and marketing strategy. His joining the team points to the company's continued dynamic growth and focus on innovation in the automotive sector.