Volkswagen Group has appointed Andreas Mindt as its new head of design, expanding his responsibilities beyond the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand to oversee styling across the company’s portfolio of marques.
Mindt, 56, succeeds Michael Mauer, who is leaving the group following his earlier departure as head of design at Porsche. Volkswagen described the leadership change as part of a planned generational transition.
A long-time Volkswagen Group designer, Mindt has worked within the organization for nearly three decades since graduating from the Hochschule für Gestaltung in Pforzheim. He has led design for the Volkswagen brand since February 2023, where he was tasked with refreshing the visual identity of the company’s electric “ID” lineup. The upcoming all-electric ID. Polo is among the first vehicles developed under his direction.
Group Chief Executive Oliver Blume said Mindt had already made a strong impact. “I am looking forward to working more closely with Andy Mindt. With his track record at the Volkswagen brand and his expertise, he has made a significant impact in a short time and played a key role in ensuring that our cars are clearly recognisable as genuine Volkswagen models again,” Blume said.
Volkswagen said the Group Design function is responsible for ensuring that each brand maintains a distinct identity while remaining true to its heritage. Blume credited Mauer with strengthening those brand identities during his tenure. “Michael Mauer achieved precisely what we set out to do in a short time,” he said, adding that the brands’ flagship models now “authentically and emotionally reflect their origin.”
According to Germany’s Manager Magazin, Mauer could have remained in the group-wide role but opted to depart, reportedly viewing the position as heavily administrative and lacking direct responsibility for a single brand.
Unlike his predecessor, Mindt will continue to lead design for Volkswagen Passenger Cars while overseeing group-wide activities. His career spans multiple brands within the organization. He gained early recognition with the 1999 Bentley Hunaudières concept following Volkswagen’s acquisition of Bentley and later contributed to major models including the first-generation Tiguan and the seventh-generation Golf.
From 2014 to 2021, Mindt headed exterior design at Audi, shaping vehicles ranging from the A1 and Q3 to the Q8 and the electric e-tron GT. He subsequently served as Director of Design at Bentley before returning to Volkswagen in 2023.
The appointment places one of the group’s most experienced designers at the helm as it transitions toward electrification and software-defined vehicles across its global lineup.
