(Yicai) July 22 -- Porsche has appointed Alexander Pollich, an international sales expert, as president and chief executive of its Chinese arm due to the German high-performance carmaker's sales slump in the world's largest auto market.

Pollich, who has worked at Porsche for over 23 years, will step in as president and CEO of Porsche China and move to the Shanghai office on Sept. 1 at the earliest, the Stuttgart-based firm announced on July 20. He will succeed Michael Kirsch, who will take another responsible post at the company, it added.

Pollich, 57, has been chairman of Porsche Deutschland GmbH since 2018, the carmaker noted. Before taking charge of the firm's German market, he also successfully helped develop its business in Canada and the UK while serving as CEO of those markets.

"Pollich's principal tasks will include the implementation of a value-oriented and brand-appropriate growth strategy for the Chinese market," according to Porsche. His focus beyond this will be on even more intensive collaboration with local dealer partners and further optimizing the internal processes and structures, it added.

As competition in the Chinese car market intensifies, Porsche is facing significant growth pressures in the country. Its global sales rose 3.3 percent to 320,221 units last year from the previous one, but those in China dropped 15 percent to 79,283 units.

Porsche's global sales fell 7 percent to 155,945 units in the six months ended June 30 from a year earlier, with sales in China tumbling 33 percent to 29,551 units, according to its latest data. However, under Pollich's leadership, the figure in Germany rose 22 percent to 20,811 units.

In May, Porsche China and its local dealers said they will seek effective ways to address market changes together, including business policies, customer service, and electrification transition because of plunging sales. During industry changes and transformation, carmakers must actively listen to dealers' voices from the frontline, the firm noted.

According to earlier reports, Porsche dealership investors sent a letter to the carmaker at the end of April to protest its demand for dealers to increase inventory despite tumbling sales. They also requested compensation from the firm for sales of cars at a loss, with around 65 percent of dealers ceasing orders of new vehicles.

Editors: Dou Shicong, Martin Kadiev