Volkswagen to appoint first ever Chief Brand Officer

Volkswagen has announced the appointment of its first ever Chief Brand Officer (CBO).

To come into effect on 1 April 2025, the role will be assumed Christine Wolburg, who was formerly the Head of Sales and Marketing at Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG) - the main public transport company of Germany’s capital city of Berlin. Apart from BVG, her past experience also includes Mercedes-Benz Passenger Cars and Smart.

Wolburg carries into her new position "extensive expertise and many years of experience both in the automotive industry and in developing and implementing forward-looking brand experience strategies".  She will report directly to CEO, Thomas Schafer, and take over marketing management of the Volkswagen brand from Susanne Franz.

In turn, Franz will move on to a different role within the group.

As for why this new position is now being carved for the brand, Volkswagen states that the decision comes as it continues working towards its goal of being the world’s "leading volume manufacturer in terms of technology by 2030".

To that end, the CBO will help create a development path for a "holistic brand experience strategy" for Volkswagen, as well as help to serve as a central interface for key areas such as Design, Vehicle Strategy, Digital Business and Communications. Interestingly, a phrase repeated by Volkswagen is "consistent brand experience" - which Wolburg will help to shape across all regions.