Jonathan Browning (51) has been named president and CEO of Volkswagen Group of America, effective from October 1.

He is currently responsible for Volkswagen Group's national sales companies (NSC).

Talking to journalists in Washington on Monday, Christian Klingler, member of the board of management of Volkswagen AG for Sales, said: ‘Volkswagen will play an even stronger role in the important US market going forward. Jonathan Browning is an acknowledged expert on this market, its customers and its sales structures.'

Browning succeeds Stefan Jacoby, who has left the company.

Browning has held numerous executive sales and marketing posts worldwide at General Motors (GM) and Ford Motor Company.

He was vice president European sales, service and marketing at the GM Group from 2001 to 2008, and simultaneously also chairman of Vauxhall Motors from 2006 to 2008, becoming GM vice-president global sales, service and marketing in 2008.

Browning worked for the Ford Group from 1997 to 2001, first as executive director marketing for Ford Europe and then as the global managing director of Jaguar.

He moved to the Volkswagen Group in June 2010.