Klaus Justen | 31.08.2024
Change of leadership in the sales and marketing department at the German manufacturer Audi: Hildegard Wortmann is leaving the company and will be replaced by Marco Schubert, who is moving from Porsche to the brand with the four rings.
Wortmann announced her departure from Audi on Friday afternoon via the LinkedIn network, parallel to the company’s official announcement. According to the report, the 57-year-old board member, who moved to Audi from competitor BMW five years ago and was the first woman on the manufacturer’s board, had probably been tired of her job for some time. “For some time now I have been thinking about how I can continue on my path and when the right time has come to leave,” she writes in the business network. “My bosses at Audi and in the Volkswagen Group supported me in constructive discussions about my plans and together we found the right time for this autumn.”
To be more precise: From September 1, 2024, former Audi employee Marco Schubert will be responsible for the Sales and Marketing Board division and will become a member of the Extended Group Management of the Volkswagen Group. Audi Supervisory Board Chairman Manfred Döss gives the departing manager the usual warm words: “Hildegard Wortmann has made significant progress in sales in times of crisis and has had a decisive influence on it. In her role at the Group, she has developed a strong, cross-brand foundation for global sales. At Audi, she and her team have achieved sales records – and that in times of major crises. Marco Schubert brings the international experience that we need now.”
Currently, the sales figures for the Ingolstadt-based premium brand are not looking so great. Global sales figures fell by more than eight percent to around 833,000 vehicles in the first half of the year. The company has had to contend with a number of delays in the launch of new models in recent years – for example, the Q6 e-tron came onto the market in spring almost two years later than planned. The model range of two of the brand’s volume models will also be refreshed this year. The mid-range bestseller A4 will become the A5, and the Q5 SUV, which sells very well worldwide, will also be reissued and enters its third generation.
Wortmann has not yet made any concrete statements about her future plans: “At the moment, my priority is to take a step back and reflect on my path after 34 years of intensive professional experience, 26 of which in the automotive industry. I will certainly continue to be closely involved in the business – but in a different environment. I look forward to contributing my broad and diverse experience.”
Her successor in Ingolstadt brings many years of Audi experience with him: The 50-year-old, who has been responsible for Porsche’s European business since 2021, has previously held various positions for the company. In total, he spent 20 of his 30 years of professional experience in the automotive industry at Audi. Before his foray to Porsche, Schubert worked for three years as President of the Audi Sales Division in China. At Skoda Auto as, he headed sales in Asia and overseas until 2018. From 2014 to 2017, Marco Schubert was Managing Director at Audi in Sweden. Before that, he headed the Northern Europe region at Audi for three years.
