Former Apple Car Hire Johann Jungwirth Joins Volkswagen as Head of Digitalization Strategy

[MacRumors]

Johann Jungwirth has been appointed as the head of Volkswagen's new Digitalization Strategy Department in the company's Germany-based headquarters. In the past, Jungwirth worked for Mercedez-Benz and Apple, where he led the Mac Systems Engineering team.

More specifically, Jungwirth supported Apple's Special Projects Group, a tie that has connected him in the past to Apple's long-rumored Apple Car project. Although the German native could have left Apple solely for a job that brought him closer to home, it's still unclear exactly why he decided to leave the Cupertino-based company -- where he was allegedly working alongside the Apple Car team -- for Volkswagen.

Jungwirth was named Director, Mac Systems Engineering at Apple in Cupertino, CA (USA), in 2014. He was responsible for innovation in design and engineering in product development as well as hiring, growing and leading a multicultural research & development team and supporting the Special Projects Group.

According to Volkswagen's press release, Jungwirth will help the car manufacturer look towards the future with a focus on digitilization in the automotive industry. The hire comes on the heels of Volkswagen's big diesel scandal that's plagued the company for the past few weeks, in which it was discovered that it cheated on emissions tests in a number of its diesel cars.

Article Link: Former Apple Car Hire Johann Jungwirth Joins Volkswagen as Head of Digitalization Strategy

 

[gixxerfool]

Due to apples stance on privacy maybe they won't get busted this Time on their ECM program.

 

[Kajje]

He particularly will be responsible for the firmware team. Rumors are there are a couple VWs that needs an update.

 

[theMaccer]

Dont touch my TDI.

 

[chago04]

Volkswagen probably realized they need a big hire here and right now in the business world, Apple is king. I imagine Johann is an even richer man today.

 

[litmag01]

Now there is someone who voluntarily inherited a bit of a mess.

 

[Junipr]

"You see, we wanted our emissions to appear thinner than ever, so we hired someone from Apple" -VW

 

[croooow]

What a time to join VW!

 

[Reason077]

Volkswagen! Wow. Talk about a toxic brand!

Nitric Oxide toxins, that is...

 

[Daalseth]

I used to go to this mechanic in town. I slowly realized that he neither understood nor liked Prius's. Actually I found out that he HATED them. In his mind if it wan't a car made in Germany, it wasn't worth s***. Anyway, he kept pressing me to get a VW Diesel. "They're cleaner than the Prius." "They're more efficient that the Prius." He'd go on and on.

I've been tempted to drop by and see what he says now that all of that is based on bad code. But I won't. I'm not a 'neener neener' kind of a guy'.

 

[Tycho24]

My guess:
They want to have a few "meetings", where they sneakily skirt his NDA agreements by instead of asking directly "what's Apple's digital strategy?", saying stuff like "soooo... now that you're in charge of our digital strategy; what do you think is the exact direction we should copy, errr... I mean develop?"

 

[Nunyabinez]

Oh no, this proves the apple car is not going to happen now.

 

[Benjamin Frost]

I'm not surprised.

I've always seen Volkswagen as the Apple of cars.

 

[ronyedin]

he is a spy..

 

[gsmornot]

Due to apples stance on privacy maybe they won't get busted this Time on their ECM program.

No worries, electric cars do not need to fool an emissions test.

 

[deconstruct60]

...Apple, where he led the Mac Systems Engineering team.

More specifically, Jungwirth supported Apple's Special Projects Group, a tie that has connected him in the past to Apple's long-rumored Apple Car project. ....

Maybe Apple can hire someone for the Apple car work so that the Mac System person could work on Macs full time. And some other folks to work on Macs full time.

Mac mini .... goes comatose for 2 years 12-14.
iMac (non retina ) .... pragmatically comatose for 2 years ( kneecapping the iMac by slapping a MBA processor in it is a chuckle engineering project. )
Mac Pro ..... comatose for 2 years

Sure there was a MacBook of late but seems like Apple can't walk and chew gum at the same time. One Mac system has to be hobbled so they can move another forward. There should be someone inside of Apple saying that is "BS".

Ditto on software half. Lots of GUI changes in OS X but "where is the beef" ?

 

[keysofanxiety]

I'm not surprised.

I've always seen Volkswagen as the Apple of cars.

You mean their engines won't go beyond 5400RPM?

 

[H2SO4]

"You see, we wanted our emissions to appear thinner than ever, so we hired someone from Apple" -VW

This one was very cute indeed. Bravo.

 

[Rogifan]

Btw, this guy was tweeting about how awesome Tesla was back in September so my guess is he wasn't at Apple for very long.

 

[Mac Fly (film)]

Dont touch my TDI.

Quit acting American. The world is on fire.

 

[Reason077]

I'm not surprised.

I've always seen Volkswagen as the Apple of cars.

If Apple were the Volkswagen of computing...

Macs and iPhones would have batteries that last all day while being tested - but only 40 minutes in the real world!

 

[AdonisSMU]

Its for the best... I guess.

 

[dstud208]

I feel like a lot of big cheeses just move around to whatever company is paying the most

 

[Elbon]

I'm not surprised.

I've always seen Volkswagen as the Apple of cars.

At one point, they had a similar sort of brand loyalty - but that was back when VW actually made good cars and Apple only made Macs.

 

[WWPD]

I love how VW cheats on diesel emission tests and it's a huge scandal costing billions in fines, GM knowingly sells faulty ignition switches that KILL people and they get a slap on the wrist. I guess that's a perk of being an American company (Government Motors).