Hans-Joachim Rothenpieler new Board Member for Technical Development at AUDI AG

- Peter Mertens asked the Audi Supervisory Board to release him from his duties for health reasons

- Volkswagen CEO and Audi Supervisory Board Chairman Herbert Diess: "We deeply regret that Peter Mertens is stepping down from the Board of Management."

- Peter Mosch, Chairman of the General Works Council and Deputy Chairman of the Supervisory Board: "Our thanks are due to Peter Mertens. We expect the transformation that has begun to continue in the spirit of everyone at Audi."

- Peter Mertens: "Thank you to everyone at Audi!"

Ingolstadt, September 28, 2018 - Hans-Joachim Rothenpieler will become the Member of the Board of Management for Technical Development at AUDI AG on 1 November 2018. He is the successor of Peter Mertens, who has held this position since May 1, 2017. Mertens had asked the Audi Supervisory Board to release him from his duties for health reasons.

Volkswagen CEO and Audi Supervisory Board Chairman Herbert Diess: "We deeply regret that Peter Mertens is stepping down from the Board of Management. We respect the reasons that led to his decision and wish him a full recovery.
Hans-Joachim Rothenpieler is an experienced expert who will continue to advance the transformation of Technical Development."

Peter Mertens explains his decision in the following words: "Over the past 16 months, we have initiated a comprehensive transformation at Technical Development and started the future orientation of the division. This requires a high level of concentration, which I cannot fully manage in my situation. During this time, my health and my family have priority. I thank everyone at Audi for their commitment, their support and the great cooperation I have experienced during this time."

Peter Mosch, Chairman of the General Works Council and Deputy Chairman of the Supervisory Board of AUDI AG: "We thank Peter Mertens for his outstanding commitment to our company. We expressly regret having to say farewell to such an innovative and inspiring executive. The entire Audi team wishes him all the very best. His successor as the new Board of Management member, Hans-Joachim Rothenpieler, must now continue with the consistent focus of the structures and processes of our Technical Development to ensure an employee-friendly transformation, because the know-how of our team is our Vorsprung durch Technik. In this way, Audi will continue to be the technological spearhead of the Volkswagen Group and will continue to set standards for cutting-edge automotive technologies."

Volkswagen CEO and Audi Supervisory Board Chairman Herbert Diess: "Hans-Joachim Rothenpieler has gained a great deal of experience in his numerous responsible positions at the Group, which will help him to make a start quickly in his new position at Audi. His task will be to continue the transformation of Technical Development and to further advance along the path towards electric mobility." According to the company's plans, approximately 2,500 Technical Development employees will additionally be qualified in future fields such as electric mobility, piloted driving, connectivity and future vehicle concepts by the end of 2018.

Hans-Joachim Rothenpieler will take over the Technical Development division on November 1, 2018. He has been employed at the Volkswagen Group since 1986. Rothenpieler's previous positions include Head of Vehicle Development at Skoda, Member of the Board of Management for Technical Development at the premium brand Bentley, and Member of the Board of Management for Development at Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles. Since 2016, Rothenpieler has been Head of Group Quality Management at Volkswagen.

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