Volkswagen picks candidate for newly created chief brand officer role

WOLFSBURG: Volkswagen has named Christine Wolburg as its first-ever chief brand officer, a newly created role aimed at boosting the brand’s global presence.

She takes on the new role from April 1. She will oversee the development of a unified brand experience across all customer interactions, including vehicle operations, dealership engagement and marketing campaigns.

Reporting directly to CEO Thomas Schäfer, she will also assume Volkswagen’s marketing leadership from Susanne Franz, who is moving to a different position within the group.

Schäfer said Wolburg’s expertise in brand experience and customer engagement makes her the ideal candidate to support Volkswagen’s ambition of becoming the world’s leading volume manufacturer in technology by 2030.

In this new role, Wolburg will develop a comprehensive brand strategy, collaborating with key divisions such as Design, Vehicle Strategy, Digital Business, and Communications. She will also carry out a global brand governance framework to ensure a consistent brand identity across all markets.

Wolburg holds a degree in business administration with a marketing specialisation from Aschaffenburg, Germany. She started her working life at Mercedes-Benz in 2004, working in product management for the Smart brand before leading product communication for Mercedes-Benz Passenger Cars and Smart in Germany.

In 2021, she switched to Berlin's public transportation operator Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe as its sales & marketing chief.

Wolburg is coming onboard as Volkswagen is facing major challenges from multiple fronts.

It is grappling with a downturn in electric vehicle (EV) demand, leading to plans to throttle production.

It also faces intense competition from cost-efficient Chinese automakers, both domestically and in key markets like China, where foreign brands are suffering from erosion of sales.

The company is also dealing with substantial financial pressures, including a US$1.4 billion tax demand from Indian authorities, which could undermine its operations in the region.

Moreover, Volkswagen is contending with the effects of new tariffs imposed by the United States on vehicles imported from countries such as Mexico and Canada, further complicating its global trade dynamics.