Volkswagen Group has promoted Susanne Franz as its new CMO.
Franz has led global marketing for the group’s Audi brand since 2019. Now, she will be tasked with overseeing Volkswagen’s marketing efforts globally for its passenger car business.
Among her core remit will be expanding the German car marque’s overall customer experience internationally and making Volkswagen the brand that can shift most cars globally.
The appointment follows the departure of global CMO Nelly Kennedy earlier this month.
Quick replacement
Volkswagen’s former global chief marketing officer Nelly Kennedy, announced earlier this month that she would leave the German car manufacturer despite being in the midst of a major media review and ahead of the key Super Bowl.
Kennedy announced she would return to her native US at her own request, having only taken up the role a year ago. Volkswagen confirmed at the time that a successor would be announced at a later date.
A seasoned marketeer, Kennedy had held a range of senior marketing positions for both Google and Adidas, working across the US, Dutch and German markets.
She initially took on the iconic car firm’s CMO position in February last year, replacing the outgoing Jochen Spengpiehl, who transferred to lead Volkswagen’s marketing operations in the Chinese market.
