Martin Sander will return to Audi October 1, taking over sales and marketing as Marco Schubert moves into a new Volkswagen Group leadership position overseeing North America.
Audi is changing leadership of its Sales and Marketing organization, with longtime former Audi executive Martin Sander returning to the Four Rings effective October 1, 2026. Sander will replace Marco Schubert as Member of the Board of Management for Sales and Marketing, while Schubert moves into a newly defined Volkswagen Group leadership role for North America.
Sander is returning to the company where he spent most of his career. He joined Audi in 1995 and remained with the there through 2022, holding a variety of leadership positions over 27 years and developing extensive experience in both European and North American markets.
Most recently, Sander has served as Member of the Board of Management for Sales, Marketing and After Sales at the Volkswagen brand. His move back to Ingolstadt comes as Audi works to translate one of the largest product renewal cycles in its history into stronger sales while navigating increasingly difficult conditions in China, Europe and the United States.
“Our focus now is on successfully bringing our model initiative to customers and further strengthening Audi in our core markets,” said Audi CEO Gernot Döllner. “With his international experience, his deep knowledge of Audi and his strong network within the Group, Martin Sander is the right appointment for this role.”
SCHUBERT MOVES TO VOLKSWAGEN GROUP NORTH AMERICA ROLE
The change also represents a significant promotion for Marco Schubert, rather than a departure from Volkswagen Group.
Schubert will become a member of the Volkswagen Group Extended Executive Committee with responsibility for the North American region. In the newly created function, he will oversee management of the region and report directly to Volkswagen Group CEO Oliver Blume.
Schubert moves from responsibility for Audi sales and marketing to a regional position encompassing the Group’s interests in one of its most important global markets. He has led Audi Sales and Marketing since September 2024. During that period, Audi began rolling out its extensive new-generation product portfolio while also restructuring its approach to China, including the launch of the separate AUDI sister brand developed with SAIC.
Audi Supervisory Board Chairman Manfred Döss credited Schubert with guiding the sales organization through difficult market conditions while strengthening its relationships with customers, importers and dealers.
“Marco Schubert has driven one of the largest model initiatives in Audi’s history under challenging market conditions,” Döss said. “He has further developed Audi Sales, placed an even stronger focus on customers and strengthened collaboration with importers and dealers.”
FAMILIAR AUDI EXECUTIVE RETURNS AT A CRITICAL TIME
Sander’s return gives Audi a sales chief with unusually deep institutional knowledge of the company at a point when execution may be just as important as product development.
Ingolstadt has spent the last several years replacing much of their core model range, introducing new naming and platform strategies, expanding their electric portfolio and preparing for entry into Formula 1. At the same time, Audi faces considerable pressure in China and an increasingly complicated regulatory and trade environment in North America.
Sander’s familiarity with both Audi and Volkswagen Group could therefore prove particularly useful. Rather than bringing in an outsider to reinterpret the organization, Audi is effectively bringing home an executive who spent nearly three decades inside it and has since gained additional experience running sales and marketing for the Volkswagen brand.
The timing also puts an interesting emphasis on North America. Audi gains a sales and marketing chief specifically cited for his experience in the region, while Schubert moves into a Volkswagen Group position dedicated to North America and reporting directly to Blume.
Both appointments take effect October 1, 2026.