Seat and Cupra CEO steps down after four years

Seat and Cupra CEO Wayne Griffiths is leaving the Spanish company after nearly five years at the helm. Griffiths is stepping down with immediate effect “at his own request”, Seat said in an official statement, “to pursue new challenges”. There is no word on whether he has accepted a new job. The Brit will be replaced on an interim basis by production and logistics boss Markus Haupt, with a full-time successor to be announced at a later date. Over the past half-decade, Griffiths has overseen a transformative period of expansion and diversification at Seat, with Cupra becoming one of Europe’s fastest-growing car brands under his stewardship. When Griffiths was named CEO in 2020, Cupra was a newly independent brand that sold only a hot version of the Seat Ateca under its own badge. Shortly after, it launched the Formentor as its first bespoke model and now, five years later, has another three bespoke cars in its portfolio: the Born hatchback, Tavascan crossover and Terramar SUV. Last year, Cupra achieved a 7.5% sales uptick, delivering just under 250,000 cars - not far behind the 310,000 sold by the Seat brand. Around a fifth of Cupra's sales were electric cars and another fifth were plug-in hybrids. Looking back on a strong year for his firm, Griffiths said recently: "The automotive industry faced major challenges in 2024, marked by unstable economic conditions, intense competition and industry-wide reluctance to buy fully electric vehicles. But these positive delivery figures encourage us to stay on track with our strategy. “The upcoming months will test our determination as our transformation progresses. We are fully committed to electrification. However, we need urgent action from government and stakeholders to secure an electric future, because our industry is at stake." Speaking to Autocar in the wake of the announcement, Griffiths gave further details on the future of the Seat brand, which has been overshadowed by the rapid rise of its more premium sibling. Seat doesn't currently sell an electric car, but Griffiths said it "will need an EV for it to continue" and that a decision on when to launch one was due by the end of the decade. Meanwhile, Cupra is targeting further growth by expanding into the US market with a new line of more premium-focused EVs towards the end of the decade. Marking Griffiths' departure, Thomas Schäfer, the Volkswagen Group’s core brands boss, said: “Wayne Griffiths has done a great job in building the Cupra brand and restructuring the company. His understanding of the brand is remarkable. He is, in the best sense, a true car guy. We thank him for his excellent contribution and wish him all the best for the future.”

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Seat and Cupra CEO steps down after four years

Wayne Griffiths departs Spanish company "at his own request", having taken CEO role in October 2020

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Seat and Cupra CEO steps down after four years

Wayne Griffiths departs Spanish company "at his own request", having taken CEO role in October 2020

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