This born and bred South African’s career kicked off at dealership level, and he was the Dealer Principal at BMW Auto Bavaria before moving over to Audi to become the General Manager of the brand in South Africa.

He then had a stint as President of Audi in Japan before moving to the USA where he became President of Audi USA. From there, he moved to a new position as President of Infiniti Global Ltd before joining General Motors as a Vice President and President of Cadillac.

After four years at GM, he worked as a Management Consultant before being appointed Chief Operating Officer of Volkswagen in North America and Chairman of the board of VW Mexico, the position from which he is retiring.

Johan, who obtained his B Com degree in Economics at the Nelson Mandela University also studied for his MBA at the University of Pretoria.

During an interview with the American Wards Auto, Johan said: “It is time for me to step aside and let others, who are more than capable, lead the way. I have done everything I have set out to do here, but you are never truly 'done'. There's always the next thing in any job.”

He indicated that after a three-decade career, he plans to stay at his new home in Tennessee and truly relax.