Pablo Di Si, President and CEO of Volkswagen Group of America, has stepped down from his role at the German automaker.
The change, effective December 12, 2024, opens the door for Kjell Gruner to assume the role, according to the Volkswagen website.
Gruner was appointed by the Volkswagen Group.
Gerrit Spengler, CHRO of Volkswagen Group of America, will assume the function of interim CEO until the Dec. 12 change over.
Arno Antlitz, CFO & COO of the Volkswagen Group said “We would like to thank Pablo Di Si, who, together with his local team, has made a lasting contribution to strengthening the American regions of our Group. In Kjell Gruner, we have brought on board an experienced expert who knows the market and customers very well and will continue to consistently pursue the growth path we have embarked on.”
Volkswagen says that in the first nine months of the 2024, 769,000 vehicles were delivered in North America, a significant increase of more than 7%, compared to the previous year. In the main US market, the Volkswagen Group grew by 1.5%.
Gruner has over 25 years of automotive experience, according to Volkswagen. He started as a consultant at the Boston Consulting Group in 1997 and then took on management positions at Porsche AG in Stuttgart before moving to the strategy department at DaimlerChrysler AG in 2004. From 2006, he headed the strategy department at Mercedes Benz Cars. In 2010, he moved back to Porsche AG as Global Chief Marketing Officer before becoming President and CEO of Porsche Cars North America in 2020. Most recently, Gruner was Chief Commercial Officer and President, Business Growth at Rivian Automotive, Inc.
