The Supervisory Board of Seat and Cupra has appointed Markus Haupt as the permanent Chief Executive Officer of both brands, following his tenure as interim CEO since April. Haupt previously served as Head of Production.
The appointment comes after Wayne Griffiths’ departure from the Seat CEO role earlier this year. Haupt’s leadership will focus primarily on expanding the Cupra brand while overseeing Seat’s complete model portfolio and growing international presence.
“Markus brings over two decades of experience across multiple brands and countries within the Group,” said Thomas Schäfer, Chair of the Seat and Cupra Supervisory Board. “His deep expertise in production, logistics, and strategic planning makes him the ideal leader to drive the company’s electrification strategy and CUPRA’s continued growth.”
Since joining the board in 2022 as Member for Production and Logistics, Haupt has led major e-mobility initiatives, including a €3 billion investment to electrify the Martorell plant and spearheading the “Electric Urban Car family” project, which encompasses four small EVs across three brands and two plants. The Cupra Raval, part of this family, is scheduled for launch in March 2026.
“My passion for cars began early and has guided my career, from working on prototypes at the Volkswagen Group to now leading Seat and Cupra as CEO,” Haupt said. “I am honoured to steer the company through its most significant transformation, including the launch of groundbreaking models like the Cupra Raval and our shift toward electrification.”
Haupt joined Volkswagen Group in 2001 after studying in Barcelona and has held leadership roles across multiple brands and countries. His experience includes overseeing production projects for the Audi Q3, the Volkswagen T-Roc, and the A0 platform in Wolfsburg.