Audi names Porsche exec to head Europe sales

Audi’s new sales boss for Europe is Jens Puttfarcken, the former CEO of Porsche China. Puttfarcken succeeds Martin Sander, who has moved to Ford of Europe to oversee its passenger cars division.

Puttfarcken will take up the Audi role on June 1, the automaker said in a statement. Both Audi and Porsche are owned by Volkswagen Group.

Prior to his role at Porsche China, Puttfarcken managed the German home market for Porsche from 2015 to 2018. He previously held positions in customer relationship management and after sales at Porsche.

In addition to expanding Porsche’s footprint in China, the brand’s largest market, Puttfarcken also oversaw an investment by Porsche Ventures, the brand’s venture capital unit, in iMaker, a Chinese startup specializing in “virtual influencers” and digital ecosystems.

Europe was Audi’s second-largest global market last year, with vehicle sales of 671,048, down 0.4 percent on 2020, Audi said in a statement on Jan. 11. China was the brand’s top market, with 701,289 vehicles sold, down 3.6 percent.