Berlin, May 22, 2025 – Personnel change in the Management Board of IAV GmbH: Dr. Frauke Esser will take over the position of CFO in the Management Board on June 1, 2025. She succeeds Martin Mahlke, who is handing over his position to her after two years as part of a generational change and is returning to Volkswagen AG. In future, IAV's Management Board will consist of CEO Jörg Astalosch, CFO Dr. Frauke Esser and CHRO Jens Pfitzinger.
The Supervisory Board of IAV GmbH has appointed Dr. Frauke Esser as the new CFO with effect from June 1, 2025. Dr. Esser, who holds a doctorate in law, has extensive experience at the interface of financial management, procurement and legal governance. She stands for a long-term entrepreneurial perspective, structural clarity and forward-looking management in challenging transformation phases.
"With Dr. Frauke Esser, we are gaining a personality who combines strategic depth with legal precision and excellent procurement know-how. She brings with her many years of management experience in key positions within the Volkswagen Group – including in finance and risk management as well as in international procurement structures. This combination of analytical strength and implementation expertise is exactly what we need for the tasks ahead of us at IAV," says Dr. Nikolai Ardey, Chairman of the Supervisory Board.
Dr. Frauke Esser has been with the Volkswagen Group since 2008. She has been responsible for central projects in Group Procurement and was Executive Director for Global Risk and Sustainability Management Purchasing from 2021 to 2023. In her international role as Vice President Purchasing at Volkswagen de México, she helped shape the strategic realignment of procurement before most recently managing special projects in this area in Wolfsburg.
Her predecessor Martin Mahlke took over as CFO in June 2023. The graduate physicist had previously held various positions in the finance department of the Volkswagen Group since 1991.
"Martin Mahlke has led IAV in an economically challenging phase with a high level of professional competence and great prudence. Thanks to his many years of experience and his clear financial vision, he has provided significant impetus for the stabilization and further development of the company. His contribution to the sustainable strengthening of IAV's financial structure was decisive. The Supervisory Board would like to thank Martin Mahlke for his successful support during a key transformation phase," said Dr. Nikolai Ardey.
The appointment of Dr. Frauke Esser is accompanied by a new assignment of central functions: Dr. Esser will be directly responsible for the Legal & Compliance division, while responsibility for IT will be transferred to Jens Pfitzinger. This structure strengthens the link between strategic management, legal reliability and digital excellence – and creates clear responsibility for IAV's next development steps.