Geoffrey Bouquot - Innovation and Software-Defined Vehicle
From there, Geoffrey Bouquot moved to the French automotive supplier Valeo, where his last role was Group CTO & Senior Vice President Strategy. In this position, he was responsible for Corporate Strategy, R&D, Public Affairs and Sustainability, Marketing and Innovation. Geoffrey Bouquot headed the R&D network comprising 20.000 engineers as well as 20 research and 40 development centers worldwide. His responsibilities included an overall transformation plan for R&D, accelerating digitalization, and realizing efficiency gains through concentrating on selected platforms. In addition, Geoffrey Bouquot focused on accelerating the transformation in software, AI, and sustainability. The Supervisory Board of AUDI AG has appointed Geoffrey Bouquot as the Member of the Board of Management for Innovation and Software-Defined Vehicle at AUDI AG effective June 1, 2024.
Frank-Steffen Walliser - Biography
After completing his studies, Frank-Steffen Walliser joined Porsche AG in 1995 and held various positions with the brand, including Head of Motorsport Strategy from 2003. In 2010, he became responsible for developing the pioneering 918 Spyder super sports car as overall project manager. From 2014, the engineer was Head of Motorsport at the Stuttgart-based sports car manufacturer before taking over as Head of the 911 and 718 model series at the beginning of 2019. From 2022, he was Head of Complete Vehicle Development (vehicle architecture and characteristics) at Porsche. Since July 1, 2024, Frank-Steffen Walliser has been Chairman and CEO of the British luxury brand Bentley Motors Ltd, succeeding Adrian Hallmark.
Fermín Soneira - Biography
CEO of Audi and SAIC Cooperation Project
Fermín Soneira was born in 1972, in Gijón, Spain. He studied at the University of Oviedo (Spain) and Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences (Germany) and obtained a Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering and Automotive Engineering in 1998. He then began his professional career at AUDI AG in Chassis Development. In 2002, he moved to SEAT, where he was responsible for various functions in the Technical Development over the next twelve years. He was in charge of the Chassis area and Whole Vehicle Engineering for all SEAT models from 2006 to 2013. He returned to AUDI AG in 2014 and took over product strategy and brand positioning for full-size models. In addition, he directed the powertrain, carbon and electrification strategy for all Audi models. Fermín Soneira was Head of Global Product Marketing at AUDI AG from mid-2016 until the end of August 2020. From September 2020, he was Head of the Product Line for Electric Models from the A to C Segment (Model series: Q4 e-tron, Q6 e-tron, Q8 e-tron, A6 e-tron and e-tron GT) at AUDI AG. Since March 2024 Fermín Soneira is the CEO of the Audi and SAIC Cooperation Project. The project has been set up in Shanghai to jointly develop a new China-specific platform for the next generation of premium intelligent, connected vehicles. This cooperation will further expand the Audi BEV portfolio in China with three new models starting in 2025.
Dr. Christiane Zorn - Biography
She studied business administration as part of a double master's degree program (business graduate/master’s degree) at the Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg and the French business school, EM Lyon Ecole de Management, focusing on controlling, strategic management, and marketing. Her professional career began in 2007 with the Boston Consulting Group, where she worked as a consultant to the automotive industry and a mentor and recruiter while completing her doctorate. Dr. Zorn joined the BMW Group in Munich in 2013 as Product and Launch Manager for the BMW 1 Series Sedan. Starting in 2015, she assumed responsibility as Head of Product Management for the compact car segment in China. A year later, she took over the responsibility for the Sales Region China controlling department at the Beijing site until the end of 2019. In March 2020, Dr. Christiane Zorn joined AUDI AG as Head of Sales for China / Hong Kong. On September 1, 2020, she was appointed Head of Product Marketing at the four rings. Since March 1, 2023, Christiane Zorn has been Head of Product and Portfolio Strategy. On February 1, 2024, she was temporarily appointed Head of Control Series and Module Management at AUDI AG.
Hildegard Wortmann - Marketing & Sales
She held various positions there including Product and Brand Manager and was later Marketing Director for Calvin Klein. During her work with the company she gained international experience, including London and New York. Alongside her professional career she completed an MBA in London. In 1998 she moved to the BMW Group, where she led the relaunch of the MINI brand as Head of Brand Communication. Her other professional positions at BMW included marketing pre-development, innovation projects, product management and after-sales. From 2010 to 2017 she was responsible for global product management for BMW. In addition, from 2016 she assumed the overall brand responsibility for the BMW brand. With the development and launch of the electric brand BMW i, Hildegard Wortmann placed a decisive focus on e-mobility. In January 2018 she moved to Singapore, where she was responsible for the Asia-Pacific sales region. Hildegard Wortmann has been the Member of the Board of Management of AUDI AG for Marketing and Sales since July 1, 2019. From February to August 2022 she also held the position as Member of the Board of Management of the Volkswagen Group for Sales. In addition, Hildegard Wortmann has been Member of the Extended Executive Committee of the Volkswagen Group since September 1, 2022 and responsible for Sales at Group level.
Simon Bracco - Biography
Head of Corporate Quality
Simon Bracco, born in Stuttgart in 1979, began his training as an industrial management assistant at Schenk GmbH in 1997. He joined Porsche AG in 1999, completing his training there at the end of 2000. Bracco was employed at Porsche AG from 2001 to 2004 as a coordinator in its Ludwigsburg sales department, where he carried out production and quantity planning for the Cayenne model line, among other things. From 2004 to 2006, Bracco project managed Porsche’s Carrera GT project in Zuffenhausen and Leipzig. In 2006, he moved to Leipzig for the role of Task Force Manager for critical purchased parts for the Cayenne model line. He was appointed to management at Porsche AG in Zuffenhausen in 2007. In October 2007, he became Porche’s Head of Quality Measures Post-Vehicle Completion/Government Agency Management in Zuffenhausen, where he established a worldwide crisis management system to safeguard product safety and customer satisfaction. In 2012, the company assigned him to Wolfsburg as Head of Overall Recourse for the Volkswagen Group as General Representative of Group Quality Assurance. In 2015, he became Head of Group Recourse at Volkswagen AG. In May 2019, Bracco moved to AUDI AG, where he was Head of Steering for Technical Development from February to August 2020. Bracco was also responsible for the project house set up by the Audi Board of Management for various new vehicle ramp-ups. In September 2020, he was appointed Head of Audi’s Product Line for Vehicles with Internal Combustion Engine, B-Segment, and higher. Simon Bracco has been Head of Corporate Quality at AUDI AG since June 2023.
Jürgen Rittersberger - Finance, Legal Affairs & IT
Member of the Board of Management of AUDI AG Finance, Legal Affairs and IT
Jürgen Rittersberger was born in Mannheim on July 2, 1972. Rittersberger graduated from the University of Mannheim with a degree in business information systems in 1999. The same year, he began his professional career in controlling at Philipp Holzmann AG and later at DIBAG Industriebau AG. Rittersberger has worked for the Volkswagen Group since 2002. He started at Porsche’s Strategic Projects unit before switching to Investment Management. Since 2010, he has been in charge of the General Secretariat and Corporate Development at Porsche AG. Porsche appointed Rittersberger to the position of Executive Vice President in late 2015. He then moved to the headquarter of the Volkswagen Group in Wolfsburg in September 2018. Rittersberger was placed in charge of the General Secretariat and Group Strategy at Volkswagen AG. In May 2020, he was appointed Executive Vice President of Volkswagen AG. Rittersberger has been a member of the Board of Management of AUDI AG since April 1, 2021, and is responsible for Finance, Legal Affairs and IT. He has also been Chief Operating Officer (COO) since January 1, 2024.
Dr. Jens Puttfarcken - Biography
After attaining a degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Stuttgart in 1991, Puttfarcken began his career at Fiat Automobil AG in Turin, Heilbronn, and Frankfurt, in the fields of after-sales and product. A transfer to Porsche AG, Stuttgart, followed in 1997, where he initially served as a Regional Manager responsible for vehicle business in the European market. From 2010 to 2015, whilst working, Puttfarcken also earned a doctorate in engineering from the University of Duisburg-Essen. After senior positions as Head of Customer Relations, and Head of After-Sales, he was appointed CEO of Porsche Deutschland GmbH, in 2015. In 2018, Puttfarcken moved to Shanghai, as President and CEO of Porsche (China) Motors Ltd., contributing to the further development of the company’s market success. In June 2022, Puttfarcken transferred to AUDI AG as Vice President Sales Europe.