• by Tanya Gazdik , March 25, 2025

Andrew Savvas has decided to leave Volkswagen after 13 years with the company across four markets.  

He announced his plans to dealers and fellow employees on Monday. He will remain with the company through late May.

An interim CMO will be named in due course, according to a company spokesperson.

Savvas recently celebrated his third anniversary as chief sales and marketing officer, Volkswagen North American Region. He first joined the German automaker in 2012 in his native Australia.

He is stepping down from his position at VW for personal reasons to return to Australia with his famly, according to the automaker. He is not leaving to work for a competitor.  

Savvas was named MediaPost’s Automotive Marketer of the Year in February. 

Despite his plans to leave the company, Savvas says he still intends to attend the New York International Auto Show and he will receive the honor April 16 during a Q&A with MediaPost Automotive Editor Tanya Gazdik at the MediaPost Marketing: Automotive conference at Javits Center.

“I would like to thank Andrew for his contributions to the brand over nearly 13 years,” said Kjell Gruner, President and CEO, Volkswagen Group of America, in a statement. “We all appreciate that this is a very personal decision and made on Andrew’s own terms. He has left an indelible impression on everyone he has worked with since he joined us in North America, and has shown great leadership, as well as a real human touch. Andrew has worked tirelessly with our dealer network to ensure our recent sales success. We wish him all the best in his move back to Australia with his family.” 

2024 was a banner year for Volkswagen of America, with a multitude of new products and a steady rise in sales figures. 

Volkswagen outperformed competitors, with sales last year increasing 15% compared to 2023. Fourth-quarter sales were up 7% compared to the same quarter of 2023. Jetta and Tiguan sales supported the brand’s growth by increasing 51% and 24% year over year, respectively. Atlas sales grew by 24%.