Bode joins with immediate effect from VW-owned Porsche, where he was head of PR and press, according to a press statement published by VW yesterday.
On Friday, VW announced Matthias Müller as its new global CEO after Martin Winterkorn stepped down over the emissions crisis engulfing the firm. Müller also previously worked for Porsche.
The press statement said that incumbent VW comms chief Stephan Grühsem was "leaving the company by amicable agreement".
Müller said: "Stephan Grühsem has played a decisive and strategically shrewd role in shaping communications in the group over the past nine years. We would like to acknowledge this with gratitude and respect. With Hans-Gerd Bode, another recognised expert is taking over at the helm of communications in our company. He has excellent knowledge of the group and the automotive industry."
Bode had previously worked in press office roles at car makers Mitsubishi and Opel, and joined Mercedes-Benz in 1996, before moving on to VW Group in 1999, to Porsche in 2008, and to his previous role in 2010.
Grühsem joined VW in 1999, and had been in the top comms job at the firm since 2007.
