Joost Kessels will lead SEAT & CUPRA’s Research and Development area from August 1, 2026
- In the newly created role, he will be responsible for the company’s future leadership of the Group’s electric MEB21 platform
- Joost Kessels will report both to Markus Haupt, CEO of SEAT & CUPRA, and Kai Grünitz, Member of the Brand Group Core Board of Management responsible for Technical Development
- The move marks the next step in the rollout of the Brand Group Core’s cross‑brand steering model
Joost Kessels has been appointed as Chief Development Officer, effective August 1, 2026. He will further strengthen SEAT & CUPRA’s role within the Group’s electrification strategy. His main challenge in this newly created position will be the consolidation of the success of the launch of the CUPRA Raval together with the Electric Urban Car Family as well as SEAT & CUPRA’s recently assigned mandate for the technical development of the Group’s electric MEB21 platform. These new responsibilities will be taken over gradually by the team in Martorell, with the full transfer to be completed by 2028.
Joost Kessels: new Chief Development Officer
With more than 20 years of experience within the Volkswagen Group, a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from the North West University in South Africa, and four years as Director of R&D at FAW‑Volkswagen China, Kessels combines strong technical expertise with the agility and speed required for SEAT & CUPRA’s new challenges in Research & Development. For more than a decade, he has contributed to the VW Group’s electrification journey, including the development of advanced battery systems. In line with the new Brand Group Core governance model, he will report to Markus Haupt, CEO of SEAT & CUPRA, as well as to Kai Grünitz, Member of the Brand Group Core Board of Management responsible for Technical Development.
“We are excited to welcome Joost Kessels for this new chapter. His strong technical background and deep experience in the Group, including his role in China, make him the right leader to drive this next phase for our company. While we continue to lead the Electric Urban Car Family on behalf of the Volkswagen Group, we will now also start taking over the leadership of the electric MEB21 platform. A clear recognition of our work and demonstration of how much potential lies ahead for our company and the Iberian Peninsula.”
Markus Haupt, CEO of SEAT & CUPRA
MEB21 Electric Platform for the Electric Urban Car Family and ID. EveryOne, among others
With the electric MEB21 platform, SEAT & CUPRA will, for the first time in its history, assume the leadership of the technical development of a Group platform. This mandate marks a significant milestone for the company further consolidating its responsibility for the region and strengthening its role within the Group. In the meantime, SEAT & CUPRA continues to lead the Electric Urban Car Family project positioning Spain as a European hub for electric mobility. Fully effective in 2028, SEAT & CUPRA’s Research & Development team will progressively ramp up its new responsibilities.
“I am very happy that Joost Kessels will take on responsibility for the development of SEAT & CUPRA. With lean structures and accelerated decision-making processes, we will elevate development across the BGC- network to a new level. Our focus will be on achieving highly competitive development timelines and costs.”
Kai Grünitz, Member of the Brand Group Core Board of Management responsible for Technical Development
Vehicles built on the MEB21 platform include the CUPRA Raval and Volkswagen ID. Polo, produced in Martorell; the ID. Cross and Škoda Epiq, produced in Navarra; among others. The MEB21 platform, developed within the MEB+ matrix, debuts a new front‑wheel‑drive architecture with a highly efficient electric drive that cuts complexity, components and weight. Its compact layout combines the APP 290 motor with PowerCo’s unified‑cell battery using cell‑to‑pack technology, increasing energy density by around 10 percent. The result is lower weight, less installation space and greater range.
Dr. Werner Tietz will focus on his role as Head of Group Research and Development at the Volkswagen Group
Dr. Werner Tietz, who held the role of SEAT & CUPRA’s Executive Vice-President for Research and Development since 2020, has played a crucial role in the company’s transformation. His leadership has set the foundation for the successful launch of the Electric Urban Car Family, starting with the first fully electric model produced in Martorell, the CUPRA Raval.
“I would also like to express my sincere gratitude to Werner Tietz, who has played a decisive role in making the Electric Urban Car Family project a success. I’ve truly enjoyed working with him, and I know it will be a special moment for him to see the CUPRA Raval on the streets this year. His contribution has left a lasting mark on our company.”
Markus Haupt, CEO de SEAT & CUPRA
Since April 2026, Dr. Werner Tietz focuses exclusively on his Group-wide position as Head of Group Research and Development at the Volkswagen Group, a role he has held since July 2025.
Change needs drivers and SEAT & CUPRA is steering the future of mobility. As the only company in Spain that designs, develops, manufactures, and markets cars, SEAT & CUPRA is a cornerstone of the nation’s automotive industry and the driving force behind its electrification.
As the company undertakes the biggest transformation in its 75-year history, SEAT & CUPRA is turning Spain into a European hub for electric vehicles. Through the Future: Fast Forward project, and in collaboration with the Volkswagen Group, PowerCo, and other partners, the company has invested €10 billion into the country’s electrification. The company is also leading the Electric Urban Car project for the Volkswagen Group’s Brand Group Core and will begin producing 100% electric vehicles, including the CUPRA Raval, at its Martorell plant from 2026.
A member of the Volkswagen Group, SEAT & CUPRA sells vehicles under the SEAT and CUPRA brands including the iconic SEAT Ibiza and the company’s bestselling model, the CUPRA Formentor. With over 13,000 professionals and three production centres in Martorell, El Prat de Llobregat, and Barcelona, the company exports over 80% of its vehicles to more than 70 countries.
