Press release
115KB
august 29, 2016 - Volkswagen
Management undergoes restructuring: Sven Smeets named Volkswagen Motorsport Director
Volkswagen Motorsport has undergone a restructuring at management level: Sven Smeets (44) will take over as #volkswagen Motorsport Director on 01 September 2016. He succeeds Jost Capito (57), who is leaving the company to pursue a new professional challenge. Lukasz Urban (34) also takes over as Commercial Managing Director from Kirsten Zimmermann (44), who moves into a new management role at #volkswagen AG on 01 September 2016. At the same time, François-Xavier Demaison (47) as Technical Director and Dr. Donatus Wichelhaus (54) as Director of Engine Development move up into the Management Board of #volkswagen Motorsport.
As #volkswagen Motorsport Director, Sven Smeets is responsible for all of the brand's motorsport activities, including the top-tier involvement in the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC). The Belgian has been with #volkswagen Motorsport since 2012. He joined the team as Team Manager in the World Rally Championship and took on the role of Sporting Director in the middle of 2016. François-Xavier Demaison also joined #volkswagen in 2012, since when he has been responsible for the technical development of the Polo for the World Rally Championship. As Technical Director since 01 June 2016, he is now also responsible for all Volkswagen's other car projects within the field of motorsport. Dr. Donatus Wichelhaus has been a member of the management team since 2005. He took over as Director of Engine Development on 01 June, meaning he is now responsible for the development of all #volkswagen engines for motorsport purposes. Andre Dietzel (41, Head of Communications and Marketing), Matthias Meyer (47, Manager of Workshop) and Eduard Weidl (51, Head of Customer Sports) continue in their roles within the #volkswagen Motorsport management team.
Dr. Frank Welsch, Member of the Board of Management of the #volkswagen Passenger Cars brand with responsibility for "Development": "We are delighted to be able to introduce a man with a vast wealth of management experience at the top of #volkswagen Motorsport, in the form of Sven Smeets. We are confident that we will be able to continue our success story in the World Rally Championship and the strategic development of our motorsport projects with Sven and the rest of the management team at the helm. At the same time, we would like to thank Jost Capito, under whose leadership #volkswagen has won every title on offer in the World Rally Championship for the past three years. We wish him all the best for the future."
04 VW-WRC15-WOB-BK1-0535-R
2833x4256, 2MB
001 VW-WRC15-WOB-BK5-0019-R
2833x4256, 1MB
02 0103-04064818
1500x2102, 1MB
03 VW-WRC15-WOB-BK5-0033-R
2833x4256, 1MB
05 VW-WRC15-WOB-BK1-0564
2832x4256, 1MB
Related news |
||
|
|
|
january 27, 2024
|
august 24, 2022
|
february 24, 2022
|
|
Volkswagen started the anniversary year of the Golf in a very sporty and spectacular way at the Ice Race in Zell am See (Austria).... |
Thanks to the standaRd PeRfoRmance package and 10 kW moRe, the Golf #R “20 YeaRs”01 has impRoved the lap time on the legendaRy NüR... |
Herndon, VA — On the 20th anniversary of the date the #volkswagen W12 broke seven world speed records on the famed Nardò circuit i... |
Download all 
You might be interested in |
||
|
|
|
may 04, 2021
|
april 23, 2021
|
november 20, 2020
|
|
ID.4 performed amazingly over a total of 840 miles of off-road racingProduction #id4 1st Edition RWD was modified by Tanner Foust ... |
Production ID.4 1st Edition RWD modified by Tanner Foust and Rhys Millen #racing for off-road useFirst production-based #ev to ent... |
Nov 19, 2020It’s not easy to make it into the Guinness World Records book. With over 50,000 applications from aspiring record-brea... |
Italian 
Download all 
Share
Share via mail 
Automotive
Sport
Events
Art&Culture
Design
Fashion&Beauty
Food&Hospitality
Technology
Nautica
Racing
Excellence
Corporate
OffBeat
Green
Gift
Pop
Heritage
Entertainment
Health & Wellness