Detleve Hoge
Following the successful ramp up of the new plant, Volkswagen Chattanooga continues to hire for the third shift team and is assigning new responsibilities in the management to promote international networking and develop local talent.
Dr. Detlev Hoge will become the new director of Manufacturing for Volkswagen Chattanooga and will assume his new responsibilities as of October 1, 2012. Until then, Mr. Hoge will continue in his current role as head of production planning in Chattanooga’s mother plant Emden (Germany), where he is responsible for manufacturing and plant infrastructure. Prior to his current role, he served in various management positions within the Volkswagen Group, including plant logistics, body shop and planning in Setubal (Portugal), Emden and Wolfsburg (both Germany). Mr. Hoge joined Volkswagen in 1987 and holds a Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry.
James ‘JD’ Blagg, currently in Assembly Production in Chattanooga, will assume new responsibilities as the general manager and head of Body Shop as of August 1, 2012. Mr. Blagg joined Volkswagen in 2009 as part of the startup team and has been key in the successful ramp up of the Assembly Shop. The current head of Body Shop, Michael Steinke, will return to Germany after four years of foreign assignments in South Africa and the U.S.
Frank Fischer, CEO and chairman of Volkswagen Group of America, Chattanooga Operations, said: “I look forward to working with the newly assigned management team members. Having worked with Detlev in Germany and JD in Chattanooga, I know they will further strengthen our management team. I thank Michael for his support in Chattanooga and wish him a successful return to our headquarters.”
Hans-Herbert Jagla, executive vice-president for Human Resources, said: “A key to our success in Chattanooga has been combining the talents and experience of German and American colleagues. Today’s announcement further strengthens those ties and also shows that our internal talent development and succession planning processes are working well.”
JD Blagg