VW Names It First COO

Volkswagen AG’s VW brand has named Ralf Brandstaetter to the newly created position of chief operating officer.

Brandstaetter, 49, will continue as the brand’s purchasing chief, an assignment that began in 2015. He joined VW Group in 1993 as an industrial engineer.

As COO, he will head the VW’s brand’s operating business. The position was created as VW Group CEO Herbert Diess strives to restructure the group, reducing internal bureaucracy and eliminating fiefdoms.