VW Names New Chief for U.S. Unit

Volkswagen AG has named Michael Horn, its head of global after sales operations, to be president and CEO of Volkswagen Group of America.

Horn will replace Jonathan Browning, who VW says is leaving for personal reasons and returning to the U.K.

Horn will be the fifth head of VWA since 2005. Browning led the unit into double-digit sales growth in 2011 and 2012. But VW group sales in America this year are 1% below year-earlier levels in a market that has expanded 8% overall, according to Autodata Corp.

Replacing Horn as head of after sales will be Axel Schulte-Hurmann, currently head of the supply chain for VW's parts and service unit.