Volkswagen of America taps new sales/marketing EVP

Volkswagen of America, the Reston-headquartered subsidiary of the German automaker, has appointed Brian Nash as its executive vice president of sales and marketing and chief sales and marketing officer for the Volkswagen North American Region.

In the new role, which took effect Monday, Nash will be responsible for developing and leading sales, product marketing, dealer relations and after-sales strategy. The company said his focus will be on building momentum for a refreshed lineup of Volkswagen vehicles.

Nash previously spent more than a decade at Mazda North American Operations, where he oversaw the dealer network, drove sales growth and introduced digital retail strategies.

“We are proud to welcome a seasoned leader whose vision and experience will drive our next chapter of growth,” said Volkswagen Group of America President and CEO Kjell Gruner in a statement. “His expertise in dealer collaboration and strategies that prioritize customer satisfaction will be instrumental as we continue to strengthen the Volkswagen business.”

Before Mazda, Nash started his automotive career in retail. He worked within dealer groups before transitioning to an original equipment manufacturer.

The company also announced last week that Rachael Zaluzec, senior vice president of brand marketing and customer experience with Volkswagen’s North American Region, will have a realigned role making her responsible for the company’s U.S. brand strategy. She and her team will now report directly to Gruner. The company says she will maintain a close connection with and provide support to Nash’s leadership team.

Volkswagen did not immediately return requests for comment.

Volkswagen Group of America has approximately 10,000 employees in the U.S. and sells its vehicles through a network of about 1,000 independent dealers.

Based in Germany, the Volkswagen Group has 115 production facilities across 17 European countries and 10 countries in the Americas, Asia and Africa. The car maker has about 680,000 employees worldwide. Its vehicles are sold in more than 150 countries. In 2024, Volkswagen reported about $380.82 billion in sales revenue.