Volkswagen brand design boss Andreas Mindt will take on a wider role at the Volkswagen Group on 1 March.
He will replace Michael Mauer, who has been the Group design chief for eight years over two stints, the first beginning in 2015.
Mauer (pictured below), who recently stepped down as head of design at Porsche after 21 years, leaves on “amicable terms” as part of a “generational transition”, according to the Group.
Mindt, an Autocar Award winner, has led Volkswagen design since 2023. He has transformed the brand’s design, most notably with a new wave of incoming EVs, such as the ID Cross and ID Polo (the concept of which he penned in just six weeks).
Previously he was design chief at Bentley and Audi. At the latter he helped design the brand’s first EVs, most notably the E-tron SUV. He started his career with the Group back in 1996.
In his new role, which he will hold alongside his current Volkswagen brand role, Mindt will be tasked with “sharpening” and coordinating design across the entire Group, which includes Skoda, Cupra, Audi and more.
Group CEO Oliver Blume, who Mindt will directly report to, said of the new hire: “With his track record at the Volkswagen brand and his expertise, he has made a significant impact in a short time and played a key role in ensuring that our cars are clearly recognisable as genuine Volkswagen models again.
As for Mauer, Blume said: “[He] achieved precisely what we set out to do in a short time. The individual brands developed their DNA and pinpointed their positioning. Their iconic models authentically and emotionally reflect their origin – and deliver what our customers around the world expect from us.”
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