The Volkswagen Group has appointed Markus Haupt as the permanent CEO of Seat and Cupra, following his five-month stint as the interim chief of the two brands.
He took the reins of the two Spanish marques after the shock departure of their previous chief, Wayne Griffiths, on 31 March.
Haupt was previously in charge of Seat's and Cupra’s production and logistics, having overseen the preparation of their factory in Martorell, Spain, for the Volkswagen Group’s new Electric Urban Car family.
That family comprises the Cupra Raval, Skoda Epiq, VW ID Polo and VW ID Cross, and all will be key in the VW Group's fightback against the incoming wave of Chinese competition, making Haupt a key player in the group's future.
Haupt first joined the Volkswagen Group in 2001 and played key roles in the launch of the Audi Q3 – built at Martorell – as well as the A0 platform that underpins the VW Polo, Skoda Fabia and Seat Ibiza.
In his new role, he is charged with growing the sales of the seven-year-old Cupra brand as it approaches the milestone of having sold a million cars.
In a post to social media platform LinkedIn, Haupt said he has “always been obsessed with the performance of cars and their potential to create emotion and provide the freedom to move”.
He added: “Looking ahead, I see a future for our company filled with promise. I know there will be challenges ahead, but I’m sure that with a shared vision, a commitment to transformation, and a unified team moving in the same direction, we will be successful.”
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