SEAT & CUPRA Appoints Joost Kessels as Chief Development Officer, Effective August 1, 2026
Joost Kessels will lead SEAT & CUPRA's research and development as Chief Development Officer from August 1, 2026, overseeing the Electric Urban Car Family and the new MEB21 platform.
- August 1, 2026
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What Happened
Joost Kessels has been appointed as Chief Development Officer of SEAT & CUPRA, effective August 1, 2026. In this newly created role, he will be technically responsible for the company's future leadership of the Electric Urban Car Family and the development of the Group's electric MEB21 platform. Kessels brings over 20 years of experience within the Volkswagen Group, including a PhD in Mechanical Engineering and four years as Director of R&D at FAW-Volkswagen China.
“We are excited to welcome Joost Kessels for this new chapter. His strong technical background and deep experience in the Group, including his role in China, make him the right leader to drive this next phase for our company. While we continue to lead the Electric Urban Car Family on behalf of the Volkswagen Group, we will now also start taking over the leadership of the electric MEB21 platform. A ”
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The MEB21 platform uses cell-to-pack technology to boost energy density by around 10 percent compared to previous systems.
Dr. Werner Tietz focuses exclusively on his Group-wide role as Head of Group R&D at Volkswagen Group.
Joost Kessels assumes the role of Chief Development Officer at SEAT & CUPRA.
Why this matters
This appointment strengthens SEAT & CUPRA's role in the Volkswagen Group's electrification strategy, as the company takes on technical leadership of the MEB21 platform for the first time.
Terms in This Story
- MEB21 platform
- A Volkswagen Group modular electric platform for small and compact vehicles, debuting a new front-wheel-drive architecture.
- Electric Urban Car Family
- A range of small electric cars developed by SEAT & CUPRA for urban mobility, including the CUPRA Raval.
- Cell-to-pack technology
- A battery architecture where cells are integrated directly into the pack, reducing weight, complexity, and increasing energy density.
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