Fred Schulze returns to Audi site in Neckarsulm as the new Plant Manager

Fred Schulze, designated plant manager at Audi Neckarsulm site.

(PRESS RELEASE) NECKARSULM, 1-Feb-2021 — /EuropaWire/ — Audi announces that Fred Schulze will succeed Helmut Stettner as Plant Manager at the Audi site in Neckarsulm. Helmut Stettner will take on new duties in China, where he will be CEO of the PPE Company, newly founded by Audi and FAW. Fred Schulze, since 2018, has been Executive Vice President for Production and Product Management at SAIC Volkswagen in Shanghai – a joint venture between China’s Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp. and Volkswagen AG.

“We thank Helmut Stettner for his outstanding work in Neckarsulm. At a difficult time he has safely guided the site, successfully implemented the renewal of the entire core model range, and recently set the course for the future of the site in important ways. In addition to the infrastructure requirements for producing future models, he has also pushed ahead electrification at Neckarsulm and the digitalization of production and logistics”, says Peter Kössler, Board Member for Production and Logistics. With his extensive experience in China, adds Kössler, Stettner has proven expertise for his new duties. From 2011 to 2015, as Site and Production Manager with the joint-venture partner FAW in Changchun, he was previously responsible for the production of Four Rings models and other brands of the Volkswagen Group in the Far East.

“In Fred Schulze, an acknowledged expert who has excellent knowledge of the site and the region returns to Neckarsulm. He contributes a great deal of experience in automobile production, including experience at other brands and sites”, said Kössler. In his current role as Executive Vice President for Production and Product Management at SAIC Volkswagen, Schulze is responsible for the entire production of Volkswagen, Skoda and Audi models in all ten plants at the joint-venture company in China. From 2012 until 2015 Schulze already held the position of Audi Plant Manager at Neckarsulm, and was thus also the predecessor of Helmut Stettner. “I learned car-making at the Neckarsulm site in 1993. I am delighted to come back home now”, says Schulze of his return.

Media contact:

Ulla Wiesentheit
Head of Audi Fo­rum Neckar­sulm and Head of Neckar­sulm Com­mu­ni­ca­tions
Phone +49 7132 31 70100

SOURCE: Audi AG