Martin Pohanka appointed as Head of Design at Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles

• Internationally experienced in senior design roles at Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles since 2017

Hanover, 10 November 2026 – Martin Pohanka will head up the Design function of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles (VWCV). The experienced automotive designer has been with the brand since 2017 and most recently served as Head of Design Creation, responsible for Interior, Exterior, UI/UX and Colour & Trim. Previously, he held senior design positions at Jaguar Land Rover, Porsche and Audi, among others.

Karsten Franz, Head of Technical Development, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles: “Martin Pohanka knows our brand, our products and above all the specific requirements of our customers extremely well. He has already played a major role in shaping the design of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles in recent years. With his extensive international experience and his clear understanding of how to combine functionality with emotional design, he is the right person to consistently evolve our design language.”

Stefan Mecha, CEO Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles: “Design is a crucial part of the identity of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles. Our vehicles must both inspire and perform in everyday use. Martin Pohanka combines both. He knows the DNA of our brand and, together with his team, has already provided important impetus for our current products. I am delighted that he will take overall responsibility for design at Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles going forward.”

Martin Pohanka has many years of international experience in automotive design. After studying industrial design, including at the Pforzheim University of Design, he began his career in 1997 as a freelance industrial designer. In 1998 he joined Audi, before taking on various positions in interior and advanced design at Porsche from 2001. From 2015 to 2017 he worked as Chief Designer of Interior Creation at Jaguar Land Rover in the UK.

In 2017, Martin Pohanka joined Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles and initially took responsibility for interior design. Since 2023, he has been responsible as Head of Design Creation for Interior, Exterior, UI/UX and Colour & Trim. Vehicles whose design originated at his previous career stages include the Porsche 911, Boxster and Macan, the Land Rover Defender and Range Rover and, at Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, the Multivan, ID. Buzz, the new Transporter generation and the Amarok. Several of these models have won international design awards.

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You will find this text along with the pictures here and at www.vwn-presse.de 

Press contact
Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles Press Team

Chris Yan
Head of Product Communications
Phone: 49 152 229 956 03
E-mail: chris.yan@volkswagen.de

Tobias Salzmann
Corporate Communications Factory, Production
Phone: +49 151 746 357 87
E-mail: tobias.salzmann@volkswagen.de

About Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles:
Space for Needs and Dreams: Creating the Future since 1950.

For over 75 years, the VW Bus has stood for reliability and versatility – initially in commercial use and today also in everyday family life and camping. Now in its seventh generation, the concept continues to impress: as reliable Transporter, versatile Multivan, adventurous California, or fully-electric ID. Buzz. Whether as a mobile workshop, trusted service vehicle, or utility-driven everyday hero – the vehicles by Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles offer space for needs and dreams and are in use worldwide for people on a mission.

At the sites in Hanover (Germany), Poznań (Poland), and Września (Poland), more than 21,000 employees produce vehicles for both commercial and private customers. Transporter, Caravelle, Multivan, Caddy, Crafter, California, Amarok, and the ID. Buzz delight and inspire customers every day. With the ID. Buzz AD, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles is producing the first fully-autonomous production vehicle in Europe and shaping the future of mobility as a manufacturer. Headquartered in Hanover, the brand is shaping the mobility of today and tomorrow – meeting all the demands for clean, intelligent, and sustainable mobility. This is what Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles stands for with its brand promise: success, freedom, future.

Information on all aspects of the Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles brand and the Hanover site can be found at: https://www.vwn-presse.de/content/pressedb/de/en.html 

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