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How People and Culture Fueled a Remarkable Year at AUTO1 Group
7 April 2026
2025 was an extraordinary year for AUTO1 Group — not just because of our strong business results, but because our people and evolving culture adapted to power that success. As we look back at what we achieved together, we spoke with Josefine Tonn, Director of Talent Acquisition Europe and People Germany, and Lukas Erhardt, Head of Employer Branding and Internal Communications. Their perspectives shed light on how AUTO1 Group navigated rapid growth, the key initiatives that shaped our team, and the cultural values that continue to inspire and unite us.
Meet the Leaders Shaping Our People Strategy
Can you please introduce yourself and your role?
Josefine: I joined AUTO1 Group in early 2022 and currently serve as Director of Talent Acquisition Europe and People Germany. I remain fully responsible for People Germany, our largest market, and since February 2025, I have also led Talent Acquisition at the Group level. This role enables me to directly connect our team growth with business priorities and organizational needs.
Lukas: I have always been passionate about fostering a culture of openness and clarity. In a fast-paced environment, success depends on providing the right people with the right context to make informed decisions. Today, I bring this passion to life as Head of Employer Branding and Internal Communications at AUTO1 Group. I see these areas as two sides of the same coin, connecting our commitment to delivering value for our customers with our internal reality. Over my nearly eight years with the company, I’ve grown from Employer Branding into Internal Communications, aligning our narrative across the organization.
What initially attracted you to AUTO1 Group, and how has your journey with the company evolved?
Josefine: AUTO1 Group stood out to me because it operates at the intersection of speed, scale, and complexity. It was clear from the beginning that decisions about people would have an immediate impact on business outcomes. Initially, I focused on People Germany. As the organization grew, my scope expanded to orchestrate talent acquisition across all markets, which led to my current Group-wide responsibility in 2025.
Lukas: When I joined in 2018, AUTO1 Group was still very young. I’ve always been drawn to environments where you can actively shape the future instead of just managing the status quo. I championed our employer branding claim, “Choose Challenge,” because it authentically reflects who we are: ambitious and driven. While that brings high expectations, it also offers a unique opportunity to learn, grow and drive results. My journey here has been about evolving through new challenges and being rewarded with the progress we make together.
Growth Highlights and Impact
2025 was a remarkable year of growth for AUTO1 Group, particularly from a team perspective. What were the most exciting milestones during this period, and why?
Josefine: The most significant milestone was the organization’s ability to manage substantial growth. We hired thousands of people in one year, creating exciting opportunities for our teams while also challenging them as well as leaders and structures to adapt and grow. What stood out was our ability to operate, grow, and integrate new colleagues seamlessly, all while managing the day-to-day business. This success was due to collective ownership and alignment around our shared growth goals.
Lukas: While Josefine’s team did a great job attracting new talent, my team concentrated on fostering a strong sense of community and identity for both our existing and new colleagues. A major highlight for me was how resilient our internal communication systems proved to be: we needed to ensure everyone feels connected, understands our mission, and their role within it. Watching thousands of new employees become part of our culture and align with our vision was a true highlight.
Can you describe some of the most significant growth areas for our team in Europe in 2025, and why they are important?
Josefine: Our strongest growth was in the Purchasing organization, B2B Sales, and Production. These roles are not only central to our business but also among the most challenging to hire at scale. Particularly in Production, we had to go beyond traditional recruitment to find highly specialized professionals. Investing in these areas was essential to support ongoing business growth and maintain operational excellence.
Lukas: While Josefine’s team led the way in scaling our frontline operations, my team focused on empowering our central and headquarters functions through adopting AI solutions and smart tools. Leveraging these technologies is crucial for several reasons: they streamline processes, improve decision-making, and free up our people to focus on the work that adds the most value.
What strategies did you and your teams use to attract and onboard new colleagues in such a competitive talent market?
Josefine: We moved beyond conventional recruiting. This meant hiring talent from adjacent industries and markets, launching influencer-driven campaigns, and significantly increasing our active sourcing and executive search capabilities. We continually tested and refined our approaches, which helped us access talent pools that might otherwise have remained untapped.
Lukas: We focused on clarity and authenticity. In a competitive market, candidates recognize insincerity right away. Our approach relied on a strong Employee Value Proposition centered around our “Choose Challenge” narrative, delivered through targeted social media campaigns. Most importantly, we are honest about our culture, which is all about ownership and impact. This transparency attracts exactly the kind of driven talent we need to deliver outstanding value to our customers.
To grow the team from 6,300 to over 8,600 in one year required a strong, well-communicated culture. Can you tell us more about our values and their importance for new and existing colleagues?
Lukas: Scaling at this pace required us to strengthen our foundation. We launched a company-wide survey to capture authentic feedback from colleagues across markets and departments. We then merged these insights with leadership perspectives to refresh our company values. Our values are not just words - they are practical tools. For new hires, they speed up the onboarding process by setting expectations. For our longer-tenured colleagues, they serve as a decision-making compass. This shared language enables everyone to filter information and make informed choices independently, which supports our fast-paced way of working.
Looking Ahead
What excites you most about AUTO1 Group, especially regarding our people and culture?
Josefine: What excites me is the combination of speed, pragmatism, and talent at AUTO1 Group. We have incredibly smart, approachable people working here. This allows us to solve complex problems quickly and iteratively. The energy, ownership, and collaboration across the organization turn every challenge into an opportunity, making our culture truly inspiring.
Lukas: It’s incredible to see how we’ve developed over the last couple of years: We’ve successfully transitioned from a startup to a profitable, market-leading business, while maintaining our agility and “day one” spirit. I am proud to be part of a team that is transforming an industry and proving that used car buying, selling and financing can be easy and transparent. The opportunity to continuously grow alongside our business is what drives me every day.
The journey and reflections shared by Josefine and Lukas highlight the power of teamwork, innovation, and a values-driven culture at AUTO1 Group. These stories demonstrate how our people are at the very heart of our success.
For a deeper look into our broader impact, commitment to sustainability, and ongoing progress, we invite you to read the 2025 ESG report. The report offers detailed insights into our environmental initiatives, social priorities, and the actions we’re taking to ensure responsible growth across AUTO1 Group.