The Volkswagen Group has announced personnel changes in technical development and product line organization. Dr. Matthias Rabe has been named Member of the Board for Engineering at Bentley effective August 1, 2020. He succeeds Werner Tietz, who moves to SEAT as Executive Vice-President for Research and Development as of July 1. Dr. Matthias Rabe joined the Volkswagen Group in 1988 after completing his studies in mechanical engineering at RWTH Aachen. Having held several senior management posts, he moved to Shanghai Volkswagen as Head of Chassis and Electrical Development in 1992. He took over as Head of Group Research at Volkswagen AG in 2003.
He then assumed responsibility for Body Development at the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand from 2007 to 2011. In January 2011, he moved to SEAT in Martorell as Executive Vice-President for Research and Development. Matthias Rabe is currently Chief Technology Officer of the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand in Wolfsburg.
Axel Andorff will take over from Tietz, who assumes responsibility for the midsize and MEB Product Line at Skoda. He takes over from Matthias Glodny, who becomes Head of the Modular Toolkits, Drivetrains and Modules Product Line at Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand.
Axel Andorff holds a degree in industrial engineering and joined the Volkswagen Group a year ago. He began his professional career as a trainee at DaimlerChrysler in Stuttgart in 2000. In 2001, he became assistant to the Purchasing Director at Mercedes-Benz Cars and was placed in charge of the series purchasing interior at Mercedes-Benz in 2004. Three years later, Axel Andorff was given responsibility for setting up and heading purchasing at Daimler Greater China in Beijing. He moved to Stuttgart to head project management for Mercedes-Benz New Compact Cars in 2009. In 2013, he became Head of Product Concepts and Planning Mercedes-Benz Compact Cars and Electric Vehicle Architecture. He was appointed Executive Vice-President for Research and Development at SEAT in Martorell in 2019.