VW Group shakes up design leadership

Volkswagen Group promoted Klaus Bischoff to oversee the automaker's design activities and named Rolls-Royce's former design chief, Jozef Kaban, to a similar role at the VW passenger cars brand.

Bischoff, 57, has been VW brand's chief designed since 2007. He has spent his entire career at VW Group, holding senior management roles in interior, exterior and complete vehicle design.

Kaban, 46, left Rolls-Royce in October after six months leading design at the BMW-owned ultraluxury brand. Prior to his position at Rolls-Royce, Kaban had been head of BMW's design studio.

Kaban is returning to Volkswagen Group where he spent much of his career before joining BMW.

A Slovakian, Kaban started his design career in 1999 at VW Group, where he created the exterior design for the Bugatti Veyron supercar. He became Audi's head of exterior design in 2003 before moving to Skoda in 2008.

As Skoda's design chief he was credited with rejuvenating the Czech brand's design with cars such as the third-generation Superb midsize model.

Kaban will start as VW brand's design boss on July 1. Until then Bischoff will oversee VW brand design until Kaban takes up his new post.

Porsche's design chief, Michael Mauer, 57, who currently also heads VW Group design, will concentrate on his responsibilities at Porsche once the changes have come into effect, VW said in a news release.

Mauer has been responsible for VW Group design since Walter de Silva retired in 2015.