Andreas Mindt named as head of Volkswagen Group design

Volkswagen has expanded Andreas Mindt’s remit to head up VW Group design as of 1 March 2026 – announced on LinkedIn. This is in addition to his role as head of design for the VW brand.

Mindt succeeds Michael Mauer, with VW stating that Mauer is “leaving the company on amicable terms as part of a generational transition.” 

This news follows the announcement of Tobias Sühlmann as head of design at Porsche. Mauer has already transferred his responsibilities at Porsche over to Sühlmann. 

CEO of the VW Group, Oliver Blume, commented: “I am looking forward to working more closely with Andy Mindt,. With his track record at the Volkswagen brand and his expertise, he has made a significant impact in a short time and played a key role in ensuring that our cars are clearly recognisable as genuine Volkswagen models again.” This reflects a wider shift in design bosses working closely with CEOs, as seen with Audi’s Massimo Frascella reporting directly to the CEO.

A video of Andreas Mindt was also released with the announcement, with Mindt stating: “I’m excited to take on the responsibility and sharpen the future of design across the group. 

“For me design is not about styling, it’s about identity. Design defines who a brand is. It creates clarity, recognisability and trust over time. Our responsibility is clear: to strengthen every brand identity use synergies intelligently and ensure strong differentiation. Synergies are not there to make brands similar. They exist to make them sharper.” 

Mindt began his career in the VW Group in 1996 after graduating from Pforzheim University School of Design. During his time at VW, he worked on the designs of the first generation of the Tigan and on the exterior design of the Golf 7. He then worked on Audi’s exterior design, focusing on models such as the Audi A1 and Audi e-tron GT before taking on the role of director of Bentley Design. He’s held the position of head of design at VW Passenger Cars brand since February 2023.