Volkswagen’s works council head Daniela Cavallohas has heightened calls for chief executive officer (CEO) Oliver Blume to relinquish one of his two leadership roles within the company, as reported by Reuters, citing an internal memo.
Blume currently holds the CEO position at both Volkswagen Group and its subsidiary, Porsche.
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This dual responsibility has been a point of contention among stakeholders since Porsche became a separately listed entity in 2022.
Investors have been vocal about their governance concerns, advocating for Blume to step down from one of his roles.
The search for a new CEO to take the helm at Porsche suggests that there is growing pressure for Blume to relinquish his dual responsibilities position.
According to an internal memo, Cavallo stated in a staff meeting that: “The chief executive cannot be a part-time boss in Wolfsburg and spend the rest of his time at Porsche. This situation must come to an end.”
Since taking over Porsche’s leadership in 2015 and subsequently Volkswagen in 2022, Blume’s dual role has been scrutinised, especially as both companies face obstacles such as US tariffs, declining profits, and reduced sales in China.
Porsche has already revised its financial projections downward twice this year, while Volkswagen is undergoing an extensive restructuring process.
Amid these challenges, Volkswagen is reportedly gearing up to introduce its next-generation electric vehicles, the VW ID.2, at the upcoming Munich auto show, according to Bloomberg.
This launch is part of Volkswagen’s strategy to initiate a new phase of growth.
In addition to its product developments, Volkswagen Group has reinforced its partnership with Amazon Web Services for another five years.
This extended collaboration aims to advance the automaker’s Digital Production Platform (DPP), a key component in optimising manufacturing operations throughout its global production network.
