Amag with new approaches to new technologies
AMAG Following a challenging 2016, which closed with consolidated sales of CHF 4.55 billion, AMAG is increasingly turning its attention to changing market developments. Swiss francs, Amag is increasingly turning its attention to changing market developments. To this end, the new "Brand Sales" division is being created, headed by Oliver Stegmann. With five VW models among the top ten in Switzerland and eleven Amag models among the top 15, Amag has also [...]
With five VW models among the top ten in Switzerland and eleven Amag models among the top 15, Amag also ended 2016 as the strongest import company. VW as the best-selling brand had to accept a 0.2 percent decline in unit sales (42,142), but was able to increase its market share by 0.3 percent thanks to a 2.0 percent decline in the overall market. Amag CEO Morten Hannesbo does not give any sales figures for the year that has just begun, but rather highlights the most important tasks and challenges ahead, such as the conclusion of the so-called EA189 recall (diesel scandal). Of course, the company's core topics are to be further promoted in order to strengthen the brands and customer confidence.
But Amag is paying particular attention to preparing for the upcoming changes in technology and customer behavior. "We want to determine the course of our own path and not be steered from the outside," Hannesbo says, paraphrasing the initiative. "But we don't know where we will be in four or five years, so at the moment the journey is the destination." So the company is focusing specifically on topics such as digitalization and new forms of mobility. Already, Amag has become involved in two car-sharing companies, Catch a Car and Sharoo, which depart from the conventional system successfully operated by Mobility. The commitment to the German start-up Kopernikus is intended to transform existing vehicles into autonomous cars by adding technology.
Castles
This commitment has organizational implications and personnel changes. In order to provide the necessary time to develop the issues of the future, a new division is being introduced called "Brand Sales" under which all five brands (Audi, Seat, Skoda, VW, VW Commercial Vehicles) will be combined. Oliver Stegmann, the current VW brand manager, will take charge of the new division. As a new intermediate step to Managing Director Bernhard Soltermann, he will preside over all brand heads so that Soltermann can devote himself more comprehensively to the NewMobility and digitalization projects.
Peter Schmid, who previously headed Seat, succeeds him as the new VW brand manager. At Seat, Amag is appointing Sandra Grau as brand manager for the first time, who was previously head of marketing for VW Passenger Cars. Grau's successor is Giselle Vaugne, previously Head of Product Management Skoda.
In its efforts to remain commercially competitive, Amag is working on various fronts, such as the Carrosserie Competence Centers, in which all Amag operations will be grouped into nine sales associations by 2018. A first center has gone into operation with the Carrosserie Center Lengwil. Amag is also seeking modernization in terms of provision and delivery. In addition to the Birrfeld site, a new delivery infrastructure with its own parking garage has been set up in Studen near Biel (operated by Cotra), so that from now on the entire delivery of the approximately 20,000 Skoda vehicles will be handled exclusively via Studen. And finally, Amag is looking for a new location in its home region, to which the Group management, currently domiciled in Zurich, is also to move.
