Audi local head transfers to Japan

Dominique Boesch

Audi Korea said yesterday that Dominique Boesch, its managing director, starting next week will head the German automaker’s Japanese operation, which sells five times more Audi cars than the Korean operation.
According to Audi, a leader in the premium vehicle segment, his transfer is meant to boost faltering demand for Audi cars in Japan, where annual sales have been sliding over 10 percent in recent years. The German headquarters hopes Mr. Boesch will bring a fresh approach to its subsidiary in the world’s third-largest car market, said an Audi Korea spokeswoman.
The French president’s successor will be Trevor Hill, who currently leads Audi China’s export division.
Since being dispatched to Korea in 2004, Mr. Boesch is considered by market watchers to have made strong contributions to Audi brand recognition and sales here amid fierce competition from other premium brands such as BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Lexus. Last year Audi sold 3,987 vehicles in Korea, posting an annual sales growth of 48 percent ― the second-highest in 100 countries behind only the United Arab Emirates.
“Korea is a special market in that sales of the large-sized A8 sedan costing 200 million won ($213,880) have doubled over the past several years,” said Mr. Boesch.
“People around me gave me words of consolation when I was relocated to Korea three years ago [because import brands retained a minimal share at the time],” he said.
But now, Korea has become his “second home,” he said.
Mr. Boesch joined Germany’s Volkswagen Group in 1992 and moved to the auto-making group’s Audi subsidiary in 1997. He became an Asia-Pacific director of Audi in 2003.
Audi Korea plans to unveil at least five new models this year, including its RS4 sports sedan, diesel-powered Q7 sport-utility vehicles, S6 and S8 high-end sedans, and an R8 mid-engine sports car.

By Kim Tae-jin(JoongAng Ilbo)/ Seo Ji-eun(Staff Writer) [spring@joongang.co.kr]