VW China's marketing and sales director to move to Land Rover

Gasgoo.com (Shanghai May 13) - Hu Bo, Volkswagen Group China's director of marketing and sales, has confirmed to leave the company yesterday for Land Rover China, auto.163.com today. While it is still unclear what role Mr. Hu is to take up at his new company, it is highly likely to be vice president of marketing and sales. He will officially enter Land Rover next month.

Rumors of Mr. Hu (pictured above) switching companies were circulating as early as March of this year. Later however, VW China's Vice President Yang Meihong denied the rumors, saying, "He [Mr. Hu] has explicitly answered that he will not be leaving VW China… and that is the final word."

Since 2010, Jaguar Land Rover has been rapidly growing in China, with the election of a new Chinese region president as well as the establishment of a nationwide sales company. Additionally, the company is also in the process of investing in its first Chinese training center to be located in Shanghai's Pudong district. 

It is speculated that Jaguar Land Rover have been thoroughly impressed with Hu Bo's accomplishments in expanding the sales of VW imports. In 2010, VW's imports made a new record of 43,613 units, increasing 114 percent from the previous year, well above the growth rate from rival companies. In that one year China became the largest market for VW's Phaeton luxury sedan (pictured below).

Hu Bo has previously worked in the Chinese divisions of German chemical company Hoechst AG, US Southwest Airlines and advertising firm Ogilvy & Mather.