Volkswagen Group has decided that CEO Oliver Blume will – from January 1 – oversee Volkswagen Group as CEO and drop his other responsibilities as CEO of Porsche.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Discover B2B Marketing That Performs
Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.
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. 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.
The Supervisory Board of Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft resolved on Friday to conclude a new agreement with Blume for a term of five years, starting on 1 January 2026. This means Blume will continue as Volkswagen AG’s CEO until the end of 2030.
“In the last three years, Oliver Blume has impressively demonstrated his ability to advance and develop the Volkswagen Group’s strategy and business operations in a challenging environment. The Supervisory Board is confident that, with Mr. Blume on board, it will continue to successfully tackle the tasks ahead together with the Board of Management team,” said the Chairman of the Supervisory Board, Hans Dieter Pötsch.
New Porsche CEO
US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?
Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.
By GlobalDataAt the same time as the Blume announcement, the Supervisory Board of Porsche AG has appointed Dr. Michael Leiters as CEO of Porsche AG, also effective as of January 1, 2026.
Dr. Michael Leiters has been CEO of McLaren Automotive from July 2022 until April 2025, having previously served as CTO for Ferrari for more than eight years. Before taking up his position at Ferrari, he held positions at Porsche for more than 13 years, most recently with responsibility for the Porsche Macan and Porsche Cayenne series.
Dr. Wolfgang Porsche, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Porsche AG, said: “As CEO of Porsche AG, Dr. Oliver Blume has taken great responsibility in challenging times and successfully managed the company. The Supervisory Board of Porsche AG would like to thank Dr. Blume for his strong commitment. We look forward to continuing to work closely and trustingly with him as CEO of Volkswagen Group.”
With regards to the current situation of Porsche, Oliver Blume said: “Massive changes in what are by far Porsche’s largest single markets, the USA and China, have placed new demands on our business model. That is why we have structurally realigned the company this year and comprehensively expanded our product strategy. With full flexibility in drivetrain and an improved cost structure, Porsche is now robustly positioned for the future. In my role for Volkswagen Group, I will closely accompany and support the further development of Porsche.”
