Head of Communications, German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA) Simon Schütz heads the Department of Communication, Events, and Marketing at the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA). He has been with the VDA since 2021. Prior to joining the VDA, Schütz worked as a political and economic journalist in Germany and the USA, notably as a Responsible Editor at BILD and as Germany Correspondent for NPR. He earned his M.A. in Strategic Political Communication from Freie Universität Berlin as well as George Washington University in Washington, D.C..