Seat R&D chief Tietz to lead research across VW Group
Werner Tietz, a PhD engineer from RWTH Aachen, brings over three decades of experience within the Volkswagen Group to his expanded role. Having previously held senior posts at Audi and Porsche, Tietz was involved in the development of the Mission E concept – the foundation for Porsche’s first electric vehicle, the Taycan, launched in 2019.
Before joining Seat, Tietz served on the management board at Bentley as Head of Development, where he helped shape a new engineering strategy and laid the groundwork for the brand’s electrification roadmap. He became Seat’s Executive Vice-President for R&D on 1 July 2020, overseeing key EV projects such as the all-electric SUV coupé Cupra Tavascan and the small EV concept Cupra UrbanRebel.
Tietz will now take on the role of Group Head of Research and Development in addition to his Seat responsibilities. “With his vision, technical expertise, and more than three decades of experience within the Volkswagen Group, Werner Tietz has played a key role in shaping the innovative strength of brands such as Audi, Porsche, Bentley and Seat/Cupra,” said Oliver Blume, CEO of Volkswagen Group. “His work stands for forward-looking development, from sustainable materials to electrification strategy. With this extensive expertise, he will continue to drive forward research and development at the Volkswagen Group.”
Tietz succeeds Michael Steiner, who began his career at Mercedes-Benz in product development. He joined Porsche in 2002, where he held various leadership roles, including overseeing the Panamera line and overall vehicle development. Since 2016, he has served as Porsche’s Executive Board Member for R&D. In 2022, Steiner took on the additional responsibility of leading R&D across the VW Group.
Steiner now steps down from the dual role and will instead become Deputy Chairman of the Executive Board at Porsche AG.
“With his deep technological understanding and strategic foresight, Michael Steiner has made a significant contribution to positioning the Volkswagen Group as a future-oriented mobility group,” Blume said. “This includes the development of high-performance electrical and electronic architectures, the focus on software-defined vehicles, and the opening up to global technology partnerships. His work has been important for key decisions in the areas of automotive software, batteries, and autonomous driving. I would like to personally thank him for his commitment to the Volkswagen Group. He will also bring this commitment to his expanded role at Porsche as Deputy Chairman of the Executive Board.”
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