HW Vassen will assume the role of Chief Technology Officer and Member of the Board of Management of Volkswagen’s battery subsidiary PowerCo on 1 August 2024. He will succeed Soonho Ahn, who is set to leave his post at the end of July.
Soonho Ahn’s appointment was regarded as a significant milestone for PowerCo, as he was recruited directly from Apple, where he served as the Global Head of Battery Development. His recruitment was seen as a major success, bringing a leading battery developer from Silicon Valley to develop battery cells for cars in Salzgitter. Ahn, born in 1960, brought with him extensive experience from key roles at LG Chem and Samsung SDI.
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“Soonho Ahn deserves our sincere thanks for all he has done at PowerCo,” stated Frank Blome, CEO of PowerCo SE. “He built up the technology department and laid the foundation for future market success with the unified cell. He has clearly helped us on our way to become a sustainable, competitive battery company.”
Blome expressed confidence in Vassen, the incoming CTO, describing him as the “ideal successor.” Vassen has already played a crucial role in the development of PowerCo’s unified cell, set for series production in 2025. In his new role, he will oversee all technology and product development, as well as testing and analytics, at PowerCo SE.
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Before joining PowerCo in 2023, Vassen spent six years in China working in battery development, including responsibility for developing battery cells and systems for Volkswagen Group China. With an electrical engineering background, Vassen has been with the VW Group since 1999.
The PowerCo Board of Management consists of CEO Frank Blome, future CTO HW Vassen, Sebastian Wolf as COO, Kai Alexander Müller as CFO, Chief Purchasing Officer Jörg Teichmann, and Sebastian Krapoth as Chief Human Resources Officer.
