PETALING JAYA (Nov 3): Volkswagen Group Malaysia today announced the appointment of its new marketing director, Martina Berg, with effect from last Saturday.

In a statement to the press, Berg takes over the position from Petra Schreiber, who will assume her new role within the marketing division at Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles in Hannover, Germany.  

Volkswagen Group Malaysia Managing Director Armin Keller said Berg has excellent credentials to serve in this capacity.

“We thank Schreiber for her relentless effort in driving Volkswagen Group Malaysia to its pinnacle and we wish her the very best in her next role in Germany. We also welcome Berg to the country and we look forward to working with her,” he added.

The statement noted that Shreiber’s tenure at Volkswagen Group Malaysia since June 2011, saw her play an instrumental role in helping the brand build a strong foothold in Malaysia.

Berg has been with the Volkswagen Group for over 20 years, her most recent position being Marketing Director at Volkswagen Hong Kong, and has spearheaded several marketing initiatives in China, Europe and Middle East.

Volkswagen Group Malaysia came under fire from customers early this year, for technical problems with its vehicles.

In mid-March this year, a group of 50 owners had staged a protest at the VW headquarters, for the problems connected to the 7-speed direct shift gearbox (DSG7) and the poor after sales experience.

They had also complained of long waiting periods for servicing, and dealers had voided some of the vehicle warranties for slight overruns in the vehicle’s service interval.

Although the problem has been resolved, Keller noted its poor handling of customers’ grouses had resulted in a dip in customer confidence, and the company will have to scale back on its sales target for this year.

He also said the company will be implementing measures to boost customer confidence, with more services to be offered to its clients.