Volkswagen of America Appoints Jonathan Browning New Chief Executive Officer - COMPLETE VIDEO

Jonathan Browning, file photo

HERNDON, VA - September 13, 2010: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (VWGoA) announced the appointment of Jonathan Browning as its new chief executive officer this morning during a press conference at The National Press Club in Wahington, DC.

Browning was most recently responsible for the Volkswagen Group's National Sales Companies (NSC). He succeeds Stefan Jacoby, who has left the company to join the new Volvo group. Volkswagen said i n a statement that it "will play an even stronger role in the important U.S. market going forward." Browning has previously held executive sales and marketing posts worldwide at General Motors and Ford.

"Volkswagen will play an even stronger role in the important U.S. market going forward," said Christian Klingler, Member of the Board of Management of Volkswagen AG for Sales. "Jonathan Browning is an acknowledged expert on this market, its customers and its sales structures."

"The U.S. will always be one of the largest and most important markets for automobiles," said Klingler, adding that this affords the Volkswagen Group significant growth opportunities. Klingler also reiterated the target to sell 200,000 Audi brand models and 800,000 Volkswagen brand models in 2018. "Volkswagen and Audi will become leading brands in the U.S."

Click PLAY to watch the complete VW Press Conference

Browning was vice president of European sales, service and marketing at the GM Group from 2001 to 2008, and simultaneously chairman of Vauxhall Motors from 2006 to 2008, becoming GM vice president of global sales, service and marketing in 2008. Browning worked for the Ford Group from 1997 to 2001, first as executive director of marketing for Ford Europe and then as the global managing director of Jaguar. He moved to the Volkswagen Group in June 2010.

Volkswagen Group is investing one billion dollars in the new Chattanooga plant, will be launching a unique marketing offensive in the U.S. and recently celebrated the world premier of the Jetta in New York's Times Square. According to Klingler: "The Group's board and top management fully support this market and its customers."