Silja Pieh, previously CFO and Head of Product at Autonomous Intelligent Driving GmbH (AID / a subsidiary of AUDI AG) is to become the new Head of Strategy for the Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles brand (VWCV) with effect from 1 August. At the same time, she will be assuming responsibility for the newly created function of Overall Strategy and Business Unit Development MaaS/TaaS within the Volkswagen Group. In the VWCV Strategy Function, she will be succeeding Dr Lars Krause, who continues to be responsible for the main duties of product management and product strategy while additionally taking over management of the vehicle projects with Ford for the VWCV brand.
Dr Thomas Sedran, Chairman of the Brand Board of Management of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles: “In Silja Pieh we have been able to recruit a renowned expert for the strategic ongoing development of our brand. With her competence, we will be aiming to further boost the process of transformation towards an innovative mobility supplier and to pool specific Group issues more effectively. The latter particularly include topics such as the intelligent, self-driving car of tomorrow and the focus on vehicles with emission-free drive systems.”
He went on to point out that, at the same time, Lars Krause would now be able to concentrate more intensively on the management of the Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles models and on the implementation and expansion of the important cooperation with Ford. “Due to our model campaign, these ranges of tasks will be crucial for the success of the brand in the coming years. An essential aspect for the future of VWCV here will be the cooperation with Ford. Among the results that this will bring are the necessary synergy effects – such as for medium-size pick-ups. We urgently need Lars Krause’s know-how and undivided attention in this matter”, Sedran emphasised.
Silja Pieh has degrees in both Business Administration and Economic Geography from Universität Regensburg. She began her professional career with Robert Bosch GmbH in 2001, where she was last employed as a departmental head in strategic marketing. From 2012 to 2017, Silja Pieh was responsible for various innovation and strategy projects at AUDI AG, among them the development and company-wide strategy for piloted and connected motoring as well as the VW Group strategy project “Autonomous Driving”.
At Audi she developed and implemented the idea for founding a software company with the aim of developing the ‘self-driving system’ for autonomous motoring in the urban environment. When Autonomous Intelligent Driving GmbH (AID) was founded, Silja Pieh held the post of commercial managing director (CFO & Head of Product) in the company.