Schäfer named Škoda chairman
Thomas Schäfer has been named chairman of the board at Škoda Auto.
He succeeds Bernhard Maier, who is handing over the office to his successor after almost five years at the helm.
Schäfer began his career in the automotive industry at Daimler AG in 1991. He held various management positions in the areas of production and quality management in Germany, the USA and South Africa until 2002. From 2002 to 2005, he was a founding member of DaimlerChrysler Malaysia as board member for technology, where he expanded and restructured the company’s sales, production, and supplier base.
At Daimler AG in Germany, Schäfer was responsible for vehicle deliveries, customer centres and the global xKD business in emerging markets between 2005 and 2012. In addition to establishing new plants, he was also responsible for planning and strategy and international logistics for all foreign plants. In 2011, his main tasks included managing the Mercedes-Benz plant construction project in co-operation with BAIC in China.
In May 2012, Schäfer moved to Volkswagen AG, where he initially headed the group’s international production and was responsible for xKD projects and negotiations on new production sites. Since 2015, he has served as chairman and managing director of Volkswagen Group South Africa, responsible for the development of the group brands in the sub-Saharan Africa region.
