Volkswagen, Porsche to get new brand bosses, reports suggest
Porsche CEO Oliver Blume will be tasked with fixing VW's production problems
German media claims Porsche CEO will move to head up VW brand, Skoda boss takes over at Porsche
The Volkswagen Group will shuffle its brand management with new heads of VW, Porsche and Skoda, German media is reporting.
Citing sources close to the company, Auto Motor und Sport claims current Porsche CEO Oliver Blume will become VW brand boss, with Skoda boss Bernhard Maier filling Blume’s vacancy at Porsche.
The management reshuffle will see Herbert Diess retain control of overall Volkswagen Group operations but hand the day-to-day management of the Volkswagen brand to Blume, who has been CEO of Porsche since 2015.
The publication claims that Blume is being brought in to deal with significant problems facing two of VW’s most important new debuts: the new Golf and the ID 3 electric hatchback.
Both cars have reportedly been plagued by software issues, which has delayed production and lead to belated market introductions.
Blume already serves on the Volkswagen Group board of management as head of production. Bernhard Maier, rumoured to be in line to replace Blume, served as head of marketing at Porsche before moving to head up Skoda in 2015.
The changes follow on from a reshuffle last week which saw VW's chief technology officer, Matthias Rabe, move to Bentley to become the brand's head of engineering. He replaced Werner Tietz, who moved to Seat to head up R&D.
Meanwhile, a recent social media posting or the new Golf which brought accusations of racism appears to have cost Volkswagen’s marketing boss, Jochen Sengpiehl, his job. Nothing is official just yet, though Volkswagen sources have told Autocar that Sengpiehl is set to leave the German car maker.
*Lawrence Allan and Greg Kable*
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