CRITICAL THINKING
KEEPING THE PORTFOLIO PROFITABLE
For Volkswagen of America, it boils down to quality, balance, and branding
T
his Critical Thinking interview is with Rainer Michel, Vice President of Product Marketing and Strategy for Volkswagen of America.
Michel is responsible for ensuring that Volk- swagen offers a competitive product lineup, working with his team to integrate the proper features and technology in existing and future Volkswagen products in the U.S. market. His team also listens to the voice of the U.S. cus- tomer and ensures that the proper requirements are taken into consideration during the devel- opment of VW products
sold in the United
States. In addition to product development activities, he manages the development of a balanced product portfolio strategy including power-train strategy, connectivity integration, e-Mobility solutions, as well as pricing strategy for Volkswagen’s entire U.S. product portfolio.
Michel joined Volkswagen of America (VWoA) in January 2010. Previously, he served as
Executive Director of Product Management for Global Small Cars at Volkswagen’s global head- quarters in Wolfsburg, Germany. Before joining Volkswagen, Michel held numerous positions of increasing importance in purchasing, engineer- ing, product management, marketing, and planning for General Motors Europe and Opel. During his tenure at GM, Michel worked on various assignments for the U.S. market at the company’s global headquarters in Detroit and technical center in Warren, MI.
Michel holds a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from Darmstadt University in Germany.
Q. There are striking parallels between Volkswagen’s development strategy and philosophy, and that of the U.S. Army’s acqui- sition community. Both organizations set out to develop and deliver the right products, always looking for the next level of excellence
ASC.ARMY.MIL 83
CRITICAL THINKING
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