St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada, September 2024 – Norman Wickboldt has been appointed as the Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) at PowerCo Canada Inc., the newly established battery business under the Volkswagen Group in St. Thomas, Ontario. In this role, Norman will be leading the HR strategy and managing people operations as the company ramps up its battery production capabilities to contribute to sustainable energy solutions.
Career Journey: Before taking on this new role, Norman Wickboldt spent over two years as the HR Director for Strategy, Governance & Organisation at PowerCo in Salzgitter, Germany. In this position, he was responsible for HR strategy, compensation and benefits, labour relations, and workforce planning, contributing significantly to the company’s global expansion and the digitalization of its HR functions. His leadership in organisational development and compliance ensured the smooth ramp-up of production units across different countries.
Prior to his time at PowerCo, Norman served as People/HR Director at Volkswagen AG, where he led HR top management, focusing on compensation, benefits, and labour law compliance. His work included the optimisation of performance management systems and overseeing organisational restructuring to align with the company’s long-term business goals.
Norman also played a significant role at Bentley Motors Ltd, where he spent more than three years as the Director of the Centre of Excellence for People Strategy, Organisational Design, and People Development. During his tenure, he was instrumental in advancing HR digitalisation, and organisational development projects, with a focus on performance management and succession planning for leadership roles.
Earlier in his career, Norman held several key roles across multiple organisations, including HR leadership at SEAT S.A., Volkswagen AG, and AutoVision. His work in organisational design, HR compliance, and people management prepared him for the senior leadership roles he took on later in his career. His experience spans across sectors like automotive and logistics, including his time at Europcar managing pricing and CRM strategies.
At PowerCo, we are shaping the battery future. Founded by the Volkswagen Group in 2022, PowerCo is a globally operating battery cell manufacturer committed to sustainability. Headquartered in Salzgitter, the company is responsible for developing and producing battery cells and overseeing the vertical integration of the value chain. PowerCo is ramping up three cell factories with a combined capacity of up to 200 gigawatt-hours per year in Salzgitter, Valencia, and St. Thomas. The company is dedicated to advancing sustainable energy solutions and making a positive impact on the global energy landscape.
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