Automobile - Ford Germany's leader unexpectedly shifts to Volkswagen.
Martin Sander, a prominent manager at Ford, recently announced his departure from the company. At 57 years old, he held the positions of Germany chief and head of Ford's electric division. He previously worked for Audi, a Volkswagen subsidiary, and joined Ford just two years ago.
Sander will be taking on a new role at Volkswagen in Wolfsburg, where he'll serve as a sales board member. Volkswagen was excited about the addition of an experienced sales professional and a proven leader to their team. Ford did acknowledge Sander's contributions to their development in Europe but did not mention a potential replacement.
Ford is currently undergoing a major transformation, gradually phasing out its gasoline-powered vehicles. On Tuesday, production of their first electric car began in Cologne. This move will see Ford producing the vehicle in large quantities across Europe. Sander was not present at a press conference to celebrate the production start event due to "personal reasons."
Around 13,000 employees work at Ford's European headquarters and plant in Cologne, where nearly two billion euros have been invested to prepare the site for electric vehicles. Ford will be receiving the platform with the battery from Volkswagen.
The sudden departure of Sander has left the workforce feeling anxious. Benjamin Gruschka, a union representative, expressed his concerns to the German Press Agency, stating that "after this sudden change, there is a lot of uncertainty in the workforce." He went on to say, "The timing is completely wrong for Ford and the workforce." With the start of mass production of the new electric vehicle, consistent leadership would have been beneficial. "He is responsible for the electric business," Gruschka emphasized.
Sander's departure will be filled by Imelda Labbé, who is set to leave Volkswagen at the age of 57. Labbé cited personal reasons for her departure on the professional networking platform LinkedIn. She had been Volkswagen's sales chief of the core brand for just two years.
