Volkswagen names former exec at GM to lead ambitious growth plans in US; aims to triple sales

Volkswagen names GM veteran to lead US operations

NEW YORK — Volkswagen on Monday named a former Ford and GM executive to lead the German automaker’s ambitious growth plans in the U.S.

Volkswagen AG said Jonathan Browning will lead Volkswagen Group of America at a time when it aims to triple sales by 2018. He begins the new job on Oct. 1.

Volkswagen announced Browning’s appointment at a press conference in Washington, D.C., Monday. Volkswagen hired Browning, 51, in June to lead its national sales companies. Before that, he was a vice president at General Motors Co. He also was an executive at Ford Europe and global managing director of Jaguar.

Volkswagen — which also sells cars under the Audi, Bentley and Lamborghini brands — sold about 300,000 vehicles in the U.S. last year. It aims to sell 1 million by 2018, with 200,000 coming from its Audi brand.

A key test for Volkswagen comes in October, when it releases a redesigned Jetta compact sedan in the U.S. It cut the price of the 2011 Jetta and made it larger than its predecessor as it aims to more closely tailor the car to American tastes.

VW’s share of the U.S. market is less than 3 percent.

Browning replaces Stefan Jacoby, who left in June to run Volvo.