Alexander Eisl to succeed Klaus Blüm as Head of Information Technology at ŠKODA AUTO as the automaker seeks to transform to a software-oriented company

Alexander Eisl to succeed Klaus Blüm as Head of Information Technology at ŠKODA AUTO as the automaker seeks to transform to a software-oriented company

• The IT expert was most recently Senior Vice President of Information Systems at MAN Truck & Bus SE
• Alexander Eisl succeeds Klaus Blüm, who has held a new position in the Volkswagen Group since September
• ŠKODA AUTO is forging ahead with its transformation from a traditional car manufacturer to a software-oriented company

(PRESS RELEASE) MLADÁ BOLESLAV, 3-Oct-2022 — /EuropaWire/ — ŠKODA AUTO, one of the world’s oldest car makers and Czech Republic largest private company part of Volkswagen Group, has announced that Alexander Eisl will succeed Klaus Blüm as Head of Information Technology as the automaker works towards its transformation to a software-oriented company. Klaus will remain with the Volkswagen Group on a new role he took since 1 September 2022. Alexander is coming from MAN Truck & Bus SE where he held Senior Vice President position responsible for the company’s Information Systems.

Alexander Eisl began his career at Siemens in Program & Systems Engineering before becoming Head of Corporate Applications, Infrastructure & Security Services. He then joined PwC, where he built up platforms in Data & Analytics, among other areas. Since 2016, Eisl has held various management positions within the Volkswagen Group. Before joining ŠKODA AUTO, he was Senior Vice President of Information at MAN Truck & Bus SE. His responsibilities in that role included establishing MAN Digital Services and agile software development at the Munich and Lisbon sites. He was also responsible for the IT structure in the Marketing & Sales division and national sales organisations. Alexander Eisl was appointed Head of Information Technology at ŠKODA AUTO on 1 October.

“We are delighted to have recruited Alexander Eisl, an experienced IT expert, for ŠKODA AUTO. We are in the middle of the greatest transformation in our company’s history, and we are convinced Alexander Eisl is the right person to play a decisive role in shaping our digital future. I wish Alexander, who I previously worked with at MAN, every success in his new position, and I am very much looking forward to working with him in the future,” said Christian Schenk, ŠKODA AUTO Board Member for Finance and IT.

The previous Head of Information Technology at ŠKODA AUTO, Klaus Blüm, is transferring within the Volkswagen Group and will be reporting to Hauke Stars, Group Board Member for IT, as Head of Projects and Software. Blüm joined the Czech carmaker in March 2019, where he spearheaded the digitalisation process and successfully implemented IT solutions to increase the company’s efficiency and develop new digital business areas. In addition, he founded the software joint venture Green:Code and was actively involved in establishing the non-profit educational institute 42 Prague. He also significantly expanded the Volkswagen Group’s SAP Competence Centre based at ŠKODA.

“I would like to sincerely thank Klaus Blüm for his tremendous dedication, which will serve him well in the future in his important new position in the Volkswagen Group. Despite the challenging circumstances due to the pandemic when he took up his post at ŠKODA AUTO, he has significantly advanced digitalisation at our company. I wish Klaus all the best in his new position in the Group,” added Christian Schenk, ŠKODA AUTO Board Member for Finance and IT.

As part of the NEXT LEVEL – ŠKODA STRATEGY 2030, ŠKODA AUTO is intensifying its digital transformation through IT along with all specialist departments and is also stepping up its efforts in the areas of Industry 4.0 and vehicle connectivity. Information technology is increasingly a key competence for the car manufacturer, with relevant expertise being a decisive factor for success. ŠKODA is driving its transformation from a traditional car manufacturer to a software-oriented company with ‘42 Prague‘, among other initiatives. The non-profit education institute provides the ideal conditions for the first-rate training of highly motivated IT specialists. In addition, ŠKODA AUTO has set itself the goal of promoting expertise and agile development methods within a collaborative framework. The most recent example is the joint venture Green:Code with the IT holding Etnetera Group. This involves optimising the user experience for ŠKODA customers and developing next-generation software for the electromobility era. The newly founded joint venture will be recruiting up to 200 IT professionals over the coming years.

Media contact:

Ariane Kilian
Head of Communications
e: ariane.kilian@skoda-auto.cz
t: +420 326 811 778

SOURCE: ŠKODA AUTO a.s.