For Keogh, who grew to become CEO of VW of America in November 2018 and was handed a difficult mandate to double the VW Group’s collective U.S. market share to 10 p.c by 2028, the enchantment of successfully constructing a startup from scratch with out the traditional investor and sourcing woes was, to say the least, interesting.
“For me, a child from Lengthy Island, it was, frankly, simply too good to go up. It is one thing I very a lot wish to do, it is one thing I am keen about, and positively one thing I will strive my darnedest to attain,” Keogh advised reporters in a quick convention name.
“Most startups are borrowing cash; you are down in Dad’s basement, Mother’s bringing down some scrambled eggs, and also you do the perfect you’ll be able to,” the two-time Automotive Information All-Star stated. “I believe the upside is sure, we wish them to be lean, we wish to be quick, we wish to get the perfect of the market. However in fact, we do have the backing and the scaling results that include the [VW] Group.”
Keogh, who joined Audi as a advertising govt in 2006 after a stint at Mercedes-Benz, stated he is going “to go from working a area, to working an organization. However I wish to be clear: It is an organization of 1 individual. I used to be working a enterprise with 22,000 folks throughout the nation, so it is a heck of a metamorphosis.”
Keogh steps down from VW of America and totally ventures out on his personal with Scout efficient Sept. 1, when he shall be changed by Pablo Di Si, 52, who has headed VW’s South American area. In a press launch, the corporate credited Di Si, who joined VW in 2014, for main the corporate’s return to profitability in Latin America. “He additionally led a restructuring targeted on cultural transformation, creating new enterprise fashions, accelerating digitalization and bettering shopper satisfaction,” VW stated. He was not instantly accessible for remark after the announcement of his new place.