BERLIN (Reuters) - Audi's sales chief Hildegard Wortmann has chosen to step back from her role and will be replaced by Marco Schubert, head of Europe at Porsche AG, Audi said on Friday. Wortmann moved to Audi from a multi-decade career at BMW in July 2019 to lead the brand's sales and marketing.

The first woman on Audi's board, she was also a member of Volkswagen's board and in charge of sales in its extended executive committee.

She oversaw record sales of 1.9 million cars at the brand in 2023, after years in which it struggled to recover momentum after the pandemic, with sales hovering around the same level since 2020. Still, challenges abounded this year, from supply chain problems to an industry-wide crash in demand for EVs.

Audi has promised a refresh in 2024 and 2025 with over 20 new EV and combustion engine models, followed by EV-only models from 2026. Schubert, at Porsche since 2021, previously worked at Audi as head of their China business, reporting to Wortmann for some of that time. He also held leading roles in Sweden and northern Europe.

He will take over from Sept. 1.

(Reporting by Victoria Waldersee, Editing by Miranda Murray)