Skoda has appointed a new CEO to replace Bernhard Maier and his name is Thomas Schäfer, a former chairman of Volkswagen Group South Africa.
Thomas Schäfer, who takes over as Chairman of the Board at Skoda Auto with immediate effect, has been with Volkswagen AG since May 2012, where he headed the Group’s International Production and was responsible for xKD projects and negotiations on new production sites.
Since 2015, he has served as Chairman and Managing Director of Volkswagen Group South Africa, responsible for the development of the Group brands in the sub-Saharan Africa region. During his time there, he led the Volkswagen, Audi and VW Commercial Vehicles brands to the current record market share of 23.5 per cent.
Read Also: VW Group Replaces Skoda, VW Commercial Vehicles And TRATON CEOs
After 5 years of pioneering progress, it is with a heavy heart that we bid farewell to Volkswagen Group South Africa (VWSA) Chairman & Managing Director Thomas Schaefer.
He is now the Global CEO for @skodaautonews.
Auf Wiedersehen, Nkokheli!https://t.co/hgeBMBJIE7 pic.twitter.com/wJ5tyGJs1y— Volkswagen Group Africa news (@VWGAnews) August 3, 2020
Schäfer has also overseen the Volkswagen Group’s development and consolidation of its position in sub-Saharan Africa. The company built new production sites, entered into new cooperation agreements with importers and developed mobility concepts for Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda and Ghana.
Prior to his move to Volkswagen AG in 2012, Thomas Schäfer worked for Daimler AG, where he began his career in the automotive industry in 1991 as a qualified mechanical engineer. Until 2002, he held various management positions in the areas of production and quality management in Germany, the USA and South Africa. From 2002 to 2005, he was a founding member of DaimlerChrysler Malaysia as Board Member for Technology, where he expanded and restructured the company’s sales, production, and supplier base.
From 2005 to 2012, he worked for Daimler AG in Germany where he was responsible for vehicle deliveries, customer centers and the global xKD business in emerging markets. His responsibilities included setting up new plants, planning and strategy, as well as international logistics for all foreign plants. In 2011, his main tasks included managing the Mercedes-Benz plant construction project in cooperation with BAIC in China.
For now, not much is known about Schäfer’s plans for Skoda. According to labor unions, which are traditionally strong at Skoda Auto, it is unclear what his appointment will mean for the direction of the Czech carmaker.
