German automaker Porsche said on Wednesday that it has appointed Tobias Sühlmann as the Design chief, replacing Michael Mauer after twenty two years in the role.
Sühlmann will take on the position on the first day of February, with Mauer continuing to support him in a transitional period, according to the company.
Mauer had joined the brand in 2004.
The Chairman of the Executive Board of Porsche AG, Michael Leiters, praised Mauer’s contributions to the company.
“His work has shaped the style of the Porsche brand and will remain visible in the future. We thank him for his outstanding work and wish him all the best for the future,” he stated.
With his “A Porsche must appeal to all the senses” philosophy, the former design leader was behind the creation of the automaker’s first sports sedan — the Panamera — and also revised the Cayenne crossover SUV and the 918 Spyder super sports car.
The Chairman also emphasized that Mauer “carefully brought the iconic design of the 911 into the modern era”, while also “unmistakably transferring the Porsche design DNA to new model series.”
When announcing the Sühlmann appointment, Leiters stressed the importance of balancing Mauer’s heritage with fresh perspectives.
“Timeless design needs both: durability and new impulses. In view of Porsche‘s strategic realignment, now is a good time to bring new perspectives to the design as well,” the Volkswagen Group‘s brand executive said.
According to the Chairman, the new Design boss can “build on a unique design philosophy” and “further sharpen Porsche‘s profile” thanks to his experience designing sports and super sports cars.
Sühlmann’s Career
Similar to Mauer, Sühlmann studied at the University of Pforzheim University of Applied Sciences, obtaining a degree in Transportation Design.
After internships at Mercedes-Benz and PSA Peugeot Citroën in 2003 and 2004, the new executive joined Volkswagen in 2005.
During this stint, he contributed to the design of Volkswagen‘s Arteon mid-size fastback and Touareg mid-size crossover SUV.
Later, he was at Bugatti as Head of Exterior Design and Creative Development for less than a year before moving to Aston Martin, where he held the position of Chief Exterior Designer between 2018 and 2020.
In 2020, Sühlmann joined McLaren for the first time as Chief Designer of “Special Projects.”
He moved to Bentley Motors a year later, serving as Head of Exterior Design (2021-2023) before being promoted to Director of Design in 2023. He was involved in the design of the company’s Batur coachbuilt grand tourer.
In 2023, he returned to the British sports car maker, assuming the role of
Chief Design Officer until his latest appointment at Porsche.
Ingenlath’s Volvo Return
Sühlmann’s designation is the latest in a series of design leadership changes across European automakers.
The former Polestar CEO and Volvo designer Thomas Ingenlath is set to return to the Geely-backed brand as Chief Design Officer, effective February 1.
He will succeed Jeremy Offer, who resigned the role last July, after two years.
Ingenlath started his career at Volkswagen Group’s brand Skoda in 1999, staying until 2005 — before moving to the main Volkswagen brand.
