Johann Jungwirth leaves Apple to join Volkswagen to head up its "digitization" efforts. Jungwirth is a former Mercedes-Benz executive.
The battle for the best and brightest in the automotive arena continues to heat up as Volkswagen hired former Apple and Mercedes-Benz exec Johann Jungwirth to head up its new “digitization strategy department.”
While it’s not entirely clear what his duties will entail, he does report directly to new VW Group CEO Matthias Mueller. Jungwirth was at the tech behemoth for only a year. His move to the company was low key and he was given the title of director of Mac systems engineering. VW described his duties there as overseeing the “special projects group.”
In layman’s terms: he played an integral role in Apple’s hinted-at-push to produce an autonomous electric vehicle. Recently, Apple has added other high-level auto executives, including former Fiat Chrysler quality guru Doug Betts.
Prior to joining Apple, he spent five years as president and CEO of Mercedes-Benz Research & Development North America in Silicon Valley. He was responsible for the German maker’s autonomous driving technologies and electric vehicle advancements. Jungwirth was also vice president of infotainment and telematics.
Jungwirth’s hiring marks the second Mercedes employee VW’s brought on board.
(More VW managers head for the exits. For more, Click Here.)
VW cut a deal with Daimler AG to hire its integrity officer, Christine Hohmann-Dennhardt, to take on the same role on the scandal-plagued automaker’s Board for Integrity and Legal Affairs.
For the most part, the shuffling of executives has involved departing Volkswagen, not joining it. In fact, two more executives have left in recent days.
The latest to tender his resignation is Andreas Lampersbach, the head of corporate communications for the embattled automaker. That announcement comes barely a week after Walter Maria de Silva, the well-respected director of design for Volkswagen, handed in his own notice.
(VW, Porsche and Audi order stop-sale of suspect diesels. Click Here for the story.)
The departures come at a tough time for the German maker which is struggling to get a handle on a global scandal ignited by revelations it had secretly installed software in 11 million diesel vehicles designed to cheat on emissions tests.
‘This departure is a loss to our company,” said Hans-Gerd Bode, Head of Group Communications for Volkswagen. “Over the last few weeks in particular, Andreas Lampersbach excelled in demonstrating his outstanding communication skills. During this critical period he showed wisdom and a sense of responsibility in his handling of communications for Volkswagen.”
The departures were led by former CEO Martin Winterkorn. Initially he planned to maintain several secondary assignments with the company, but ultimately he had to resign from the company entirely.
(VW offering $1,000 goodwill bonus to U.S. diesel owners. Click Here for the latest.)
Among the other VW executives caught up in the scandal, Audi R&D Chief Ulirch Hackenberg and VW brand executive Heinz Jakob Neusser have been suspended. Additionally, Winfried Vahland, the former head of the Czech-based Skoda brand, resigned from his post as head of the VW North America Region just three weeks after that post was created in late September.