Saab Automobile has appointed Matthias Seidl as its new executive director sales and he will start in the role on January 1, 2011.

Seidl joins Saab’s senior management team from Detroit-based automotive consultancy API, where he was president and chief executive officer.

Prior to that, Seidl spent 20 years in the Volkswagen Group where he held several senior executive positions in the sales organizations of Audi and Volkswagen.

Current executive director sales Adrian Hallmark will be leaving Saab for a position within Jaguar.