Volkswagen will reportedly appoint a new design chief, as the brand’s CEO is said to be dissatisfied with the current chief designer’s work. Andreas Mindt, who currently holds the position at Bentley, will replace the current designer, according to insiders.
According to Automobilwoche, a change in Volkswagen’s design chief will occur on February 1st. The report cites sources within VW’s corporate circles. The current chief designer, Jozef Kaban, allegedly failed to make an impact on VW brand CEO Thomas Schäfer and the board with his work on the ID.2 city car, which was previewed with the ID. LIFE concept. It is said that it will be up to Andreas Mindt, the incoming design chief, to revise the design.
Kaban joined Volkswagen in 2020, after working at BMW. He had previously worked at various Volkswagen Group brands between 2003 and 2017. He is the third former BMW employee to leave their position, after the departures of CEO Herbert Diess and purchasing director Murat Aksel.
The Volkswagen brand is undergoing significant changes in its design leadership. In December, Oliver Blume, the CEO of Volkswagen Group, dismissed Klaus Zyciora as head of design for the group and replaced him with Michael Maurer from Porsche.
As a result of Kaban’s departure, Mindt will take his place. Tobias Sühlmann, currently the head of exterior design in Crewe, will fill the role at Bentley. Sühlmann has been with the British company since 2021 and has prior experience working at Bugatti, making the transition smooth for him.
Kaban will not be terminated, according to reports. Executives are reportedly not dissatisfied enough with his performance to terminate his employment, but will instead assign him a new role within the organization. The specific position is not yet known.
