There is a change at the helm in Audi India. Joe King, who has headed the German luxury carmaker’s operations in India since September 1, 2013, is moving back to Germany to take charge of a new assignment at the international level at Audi AG.
Thierry Lespiaucq, managing director of Volkswagen Group Sales India since May 2014, is to replace King as the interim head at Audi India.
During King’s tenure, Audi India’s sales rose from 10,002 units in 2013 to 11,192 units in 2015. In 2014, thanks to an array of new models, the carmaker with sales of 10,851 units drove past arch rival Mercedes-Benz India (10,201). However, Mercedes-Benz bounced back in 2015 to take the luxury car crown with sales of 13,502 units as against Audi India’s 11,192 units.
Joe King has, over the past couple of years, helped implement Audi India’s dealer expansion programme, invested in training and also in customer-focused initiatives like the Audi Mobile Terminal tour.
Educated at the University of Melbourne, King has 26 years of experience, having begun his career with Toyota in 1990. He has worked with both mass and premium market brands including Toyota, BMW and Audi in Australia. King moved to Audi India from Audi Australia where he played an integral role in the management team of Audi Australia Pty Ltd.
Thierry Lespiaucq who has been part of the automotive industry for over 37 years, joined Volkswagen in 2004. Prior to that, he was the CEO of Renault-Nissan Suisse, before which he headed Toyota France.