Watch the full video on YouTube - click hereFor Andrew Savvas, the auto industry isn’t about selling cars. As the Chief Sales and Marketing Officer of Volkswagen North America, Andrew is at the forefront of innovative design and advertising efforts to increase the German automaker’s U.S. market share, but he sees his most important task as developing a leadership pipeline.German OEMs have a reputation for “command and control” in their company cultures. While many leaders have started moving away from a focus on compliance and uniformity, Andrew sees room for improvement starting with how organizations hire.“We need to get braver in employing competencies, not experience,” Andrew says. Instead of looking for certain line items in the resume, organizations should focus on hiring for culture fit and skill set. More importantly, companies need to establish career development pathways that promote diversity in the top leadership roles.Volkswagen has had five CMOs in ten years, and they’ve all been external hires. “That was the first observation I made when I arrived in this organization — why are we always going external? Why aren't we focused on developing internal talent?” says Andrew. Now, he’s reshaping the company’s leadership model.Andrew recounts his journey from working at a fish market to becoming an automotive executive. Andrew has worked for Volkswagen on four continents, and he joins the Automotive Leaders Podcast to share what he’s learned about developing a purpose-driven culture and leading with vulnerability.Themes discussed in this episode: The broad range of opportunities within the auto industryHow automotive leadership is embracing a purpose-driven cultureThe challenges of attracting — and retaining — Gen Z talentCompetency-based development and a new way of hiringHow Volkswagen is Expanding its talent poolThe pathway to diverse representation in future leadershipHow to put vulnerable leadership into practiceFeatured Guest: Andrew SavvasWhat he does: Andrew is the Chief Sales and Marketing Officer of Volkswagen North America. His previous Volkswagen management experience has spanned four continents, and his track record of success in different regional markets has made him one of the auto industry’s most highly-regarded business strategists.On leadership: “Work out what you're good at and really be comfortable in your own skin […] Don't pretend you're someone else. Don't try to emulate somebody else. Listen, learn, observe, and just focus on how you can make yourself better.”Episode HighlightsTimestamped inflection points from the show[3:05] ‘I never dreamed about cars’: Andrew recounts his winding path into the auto industry from immigrating to Australia, working in a fish market, and eventually landing in sales — and he names the people who believed in him along the way.[7:05] The VW connection: Jan and Andrew discuss the variety of opportunities in the global auto industry, and Jan reveals what kind of car she drives.[10:27] ICE to BEV: Product transformation is happening as the industry shifts to electric, but how is the leadership model changing? Jan recalls her interview...