Nelly Kennedy has been appointed new Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) at the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand from mid-February 2023. In this role, she succeeds Jochen Sengpiehl, who has moved to Volkswagen Group China as CMO. Kennedy is currently Senior Global Brand Marketing Director at Google in California. She is an acknowledged digital expert and has decades of experience in brand marketing.
Thomas Schäfer, CEO of the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand, said: “We are turning Volkswagen back into a love brand – approachable, customer-centric and authentic. Our marketing plays a key role in this context. As the new Chief Marketing Officer, Nelly Kennedy together with her team will help turn Volkswagen back into a true people’s brand. I wish her every success!”
Imelda Labbé, Board Member for Sales, Marketing and After Sales at the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand, said: “I am delighted to be welcoming Nelly Kennedy, a digital and marketing expert with decades-long international experience, to Volkswagen. Together we will systematically forge ahead with realigning our brand and our marketing activities. I am convinced that Nelly Kennedy and the expertise she brings with her will make a decisive contribution to giving Volkswagen a clear brand profile in all regions and to turning our brand back into a genuine love brand.”
Kennedy has over 30 years’ experience in brand marketing. Prior to joining Google, she was Director Digital at Condé Nast International and held several senior posts in global marketing with the sportswear company Adidas. Kennedy studied PR at the University of Vienna and also holds a Postgraduate Diploma in International Marketing from the University of California, Berkeley.