The new head of Volkswagen’s design department will be Andreas Mindt, who originally headed Bentley’s design department.
Volkswagen confirmed recent speculations about changes in the design department, which is still headed by Jozef Kabaň. Andreas Mindt, who previously held the position of design chief of the Bentley brand, will take over his position as head of design at VW as of February 1.
Mindt, who studied design at the University of Pforzheim, started working for the Volkswagen Group in 1996. Until 2014, he worked on several projects, including the first-generation Tiguan and the exterior of the seventh-generation Golf. After that, Mindt moved to Audi, where he led a project to modernize the exterior of the brand’s cars.
He remained in Audi’s design department until 2021, when he was appointed director of design for the Bentley brand. Here he was in charge of creating the brand’s new design language, which was first introduced with the model Bentley Batur.
Jozef Kabaň, in whose position Mindt takes over, has been moved to the position of Creative Art Director of the Volkswagen Group. In his new position, he will report directly to the member of the VW Group Board of Directors responsible for technical development, which is now Kai Grünitz.
Grünitz then stated in the automaker’s press release: “As chief designer of the Volkswagen brand, Jozef Kabaň proved that design includes more than just the styling of individual models. With its design vocabulary, it has already left its mark on our entire model range. In his new role as creative artistic director, he will continue to work closely with the Future Center in Potsdam. On behalf of the Board of Directors, I would like to thank him for his unwavering commitment as Chief Designer.“
„At the same time, I am pleased that we have managed to acquire Andreas Mindt – an internationally experienced and respected designer from the Volkswagen concern – for our brand. Andreas Mindt will shape the design language of the Volkswagen brand in the coming decisive phase of our transformation. I look forward to working with him.“
Let us recall that Kabaň studied design in Bratislava, but in 1997 he graduated in automotive design at the Royal College of Art in London. He started working for Volkswagen Design in 1993 and participated in the design of the Bugatti Veyron. In 2003, he became head of Audi’s exterior design, and between 2008 and 2017 he left a significant mark as head of design at Škoda. He subsequently spent three years working for BMW a Rolls-Roycebefore returning in 2020 as chief designer of the Volkswagen brand.
