AUDI E7XImage: AudiFermín Soneira, who previously served as the series manager for all Audi electric models from the A- to the C-segment, was appointed by Audi CEO Gernot Döllner at the beginning of 2024 to oversee the collaboration with SAIC and led the sub-brand AUDI, which later emerged from this partnership. This summer, Soneira will relocate from China to Italy to prepare for his next role.From 1 July 2026, Soneira will take up the position of Chief Technical Officer at Automobili Lamborghini. He succeeds Rouven Mohr, the former Lamborghini CTO who joined Audi AG as Board Member for Technical Development on 1 March. Mohr has been holding a dual role, continuing to act as Lamborghini’s interim CTO until a successor is appointed. This arrangement will conclude in the summer, though Soneira and Mohr are expected to collaborate closely during the transition. “Fermín Soneira brings deep technical expertise and strong product and brand competence, making him ideally suited to shape the future of Lamborghini as a technology-driven super sports car brand,” Audi CEO Gernot Döllner said in an announcement on the group’s German news portal.Audi has not only announced this appointment but has also named a successor for Soneira in China: Fred Schulze, currently Plant Manager in Neckarsulm, will take over Soneira’s previous role as CEO of the Audi-SAIC cooperation project. “As a China expert with extensive experience in premium production and holistic vehicle development, he will strategically sharpen the profile of the young brand and drive its operational scaling,” Döllner explained.A successor has also been named for Schulze at the helm of the Baden-Württemberg Audi plant: the facility, which produces combustion and hybrid variants of the A6 and A7, among other models, will now be led by Thomas Bogus. Bogus was most recently CEO of Audi Brussels, where he headed the Audi plant in Belgium, which closed in February 2025. As no successor is required for this position, the personnel reshuffle is complete. “The Neckarsulm site is gaining an experienced specialist for electric vehicles with a holistic view of value creation,” Döllner added. “With his technical expertise and strategic experience, he will ensure the long-term competitiveness of the Neckarsulm plant.”Audi traditionally manufactures its luxury models in Neckarsulm, though the current flagship A8 will be discontinued without a direct (electric) successor. However, a future return on a suitable electric platform remains possible. Additionally, the site is set to develop another area of expertise: Neckarsulm is positioning itself “alongside its expertise in the development and production of luxury models as a centre for Artificial Intelligence,” according to Audi.audi-mediacenter.com
