ŠKODA AUTO Volkswagen India Private Limited (SAVWIPL) has announced the appointments of additional leaders as part of its plan to underpin the management team to kick-start their growth campaign.

According to the company’s statement, Christian Schenk will be the new Chairman of SAVWIPL, Piyush Arora will be the Managing Director of SAVWIPL and Christian Cahn von Seelen will be the new Executive Director – Sales & Marketing, assuming the Executive position on the Board of SAVWIPL.  

The new appointments are part of Skoda’s plan to capitalise on future growth opportunities in Indian markets and beyond, which started with the appointment of new Group Head HR in 2021. 

Commenting on the appointments, Thomas Schäfer, CEO of ŠKODA AUTO, said, “In line with our vision to be the leading European automotive brand in India, I am delighted to welcome this group of seasoned professionals to bolster the leadership team in India. I am confident that Christian Cahn von Seelen’s understanding of SAVWIPL’s business in India right from inception, and his strong relationships at HQ, will complement Piyush Arora’s deep knowledge and experience of the Indian automotive sector. Along with Christian Schenk’s support at HQ, this leadership team is fully geared to accelerate our growth in the Indian market.” 

Christian Schenk joined the Volkswagen-Group in 1999 and boasts a bludgeoning portfolio of over two decades of experience in the automobile field. He also joins the board as the member for Finance and IT at ŠKODA AUTO and will work closely with the India leadership team to capitalise on the growth opportunities for the Group in the region. 

“The Indian region has become a more and more important and strategically relevant pillar in the Volkswagen-Group and especially for ŠKODA. I am looking forward to this new challenge,” Schenk said while commenting on his appointment.

Piyush Arora is an accomplished automotive professional with more than 30 years of experience. He completed his engineering degree from the Indian Institute of Technology in Kanpur and International Business Diploma from Symbiosis International University in Pune. He started his career with Tata Motors and joins SAVWIPL from MercedesBenz India, where he held several senior positions including the Supervisory Board positions at Mercedes-Benz Indonesia and Mercedes-Benz Vietnam, while overseeing their operations. 

Christian Cahn von Seelen has been part of the ŠKODA AUTO family since 2011. As Head of Management of Global Regions at ŠKODA AUTO, he was responsible for India, China, North Africa and Russia and has been involved with the operations of the merged entity SAVWIPL right from the beginning, in his capacity as Chairman of SAVWIPL. He was also Chairman of ŠKODA AUTO India Pvt. Ltd. earlier.