Bernd Pischetsrieder is expected to continue working on the proposed merger of MAN and Scania after he leaves his office as CEO of Volkswagen Group at the end of the year.
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The Süddeutsche Zeitung newspaper reported that this will be one of the future special projects assigned to Pischetsrieder, while he fulfills his contract, which runs through to 2012.
Pischetsrieder is chairman of the Scania supervisory board and has been deeply involved in takeover discussions. MAN is currently offering to acquire Scania for EUR10bn, considered too low for Scania’s second largest investor, Swedish company Investor.
Since the takeover offer, Volkswagen has acquired a major shareholding in MAN in an effort to ensure it has a major role to play in the heavy commercial vehicle sector in the future, and is not sidelined by MAN.
Volkswagen has a significant heavy commercial vehicle business in South America, which it would like to make part of a global organisation. A merged MAN-Scania would be ideal.
Separately, German newspapers have reported that Jochen Heizmann, currently head of manufacturing at Audi, is considered favourite to take over as head of Audi from Martin Winterkorn, who will succeed Pischetsrieder as CEO of Volkswagen Group.
