Audi names Jeff Zhang president of Audi China in leadership reshuffle

Audi is reshuffling its management in China and at its performance division. From 1 November 2026, former Chery executive Jeff Zhang becomes President of Audi China, and Audi Sport boss Rolf Michl moves to China as Chief Operating Officer. Technical Development board member Rouven Mohr will lead Audi Sport on an interim basis.

Audi is changing the people at the top of two parts of its business. One is China, which it calls one of its most important markets. The other is Audi Sport GmbH, the subsidiary behind the RS models. The changes take effect on 1 November 2026. Audi China’s Board of Management will also be cut down to two people, so the business there will be run by a pair of leaders instead of a larger board.

A two-person team for China

Jeff Zhang will become President of Audi China, taking over from Johannes Roscheck. Rolf Michl, who currently runs Audi Sport, will join him as Chief Operating Officer. Together, Zhang and Michl will make up the whole Board of Management of Audi China.

In the release, Audi says the pairing combines international experience with a deep understanding of both the Chinese market and the Audi brand. The statement, which does not name its speaker, puts it this way:

“China is one of Audi’s most important markets. With Jeff Zhang and Rolf Michl, we are strengthening our leadership team on the ground, combining international experience with a deep understanding of the Chinese market and the Audi brand. Our goal is to execute our strategy consistently, respond even faster to our customers’ needs and sustainably strengthen our competitiveness. At the same time, Rouven Mohr will ensure continuity at Audi Sport, drawing on his extensive experience in developing high-performance vehicles.”

Zhang returns to Audi from Chery

Zhang has more than 20 years of international management experience. Most recently he was Vice President and CEO of the Chery brand at Chery International. Before that he ran the Chinese carmaker’s European operations. At Stellantis he was Managing Director of Alfa Romeo and DS Automobiles in China.

He has worked for Audi before. Between 2018 and 2020 he held senior roles at Audi in China, where he helped set up the SAIC Audi sales organisation and worked on strategic projects with FAW Audi. Earlier in his career he held leadership posts at Nissan in Japan and North America.

Michl swaps Audi Sport for China

Michl has been Managing Director of Audi Sport GmbH since September 2022. In that role he oversees the RS performance models, the ‘Audi exclusive’ personalisation programme and the company’s other business areas. He studied business administration and joined Audi in 2007 in product marketing. He then held leadership roles in product management, sales and marketing. In 2022 he became Head of Audi Sport Racing, and shortly afterwards he was appointed to run Audi Sport.

Mohr takes interim charge of Audi Sport

Rouven Mohr will become interim Managing Director of Audi Sport GmbH while keeping his seat on the AUDI AG Board of Management, where he has been responsible for Technical Development since March 2026. He joined Audi in Ingolstadt in 2008 and held leadership roles in vehicle development, including responsibility for the Audi R8 and several SUV and performance models. He moved to Lamborghini in 2017. There he first led overall vehicle validation and then became Chief Technical Officer in 2022.

Roscheck heads back to Ingolstadt

Johannes Roscheck will hand over his duties on 1 November 2026 and return to Ingolstadt in early 2027. Audi says he guided the brand in China through a period of deep change. The statement credits him with advancing its dual-brand strategy and strengthening ties with its Chinese joint-venture partners:

“Johannes Roscheck has led Audi in China through a period of profound transformation with great dedication, foresight and personal commitment. He has played a pivotal role in advancing our dual-brand strategy, strengthening our collaboration with our Chinese joint venture partners and shaping Audi’s strategic realignment in China. I would like to express my sincere appreciation for his contributions. I also want to thank Rolf Michl for his successful leadership of Audi Sport. I wish Jeff Zhang, Rolf Michl and Rouven Mohr every success in their new roles.”

What it means

The new China leadership pairs an executive with recent experience at a Chinese carmaker with a long-serving Audi manager. This comes as Audi pursues its dual-brand strategy in the country. At Audi Sport, the interim appointment puts the RS business under the board member responsible for Audi’s overall technical development until a permanent successor is named.

All of the appointments take effect on 1 November 2026.

Source: www.audi.com