HAMBURG — Volkswagen Group’s supervisory board will provide details Thursday on the future responsibilities of CEO Herbert Diess, which are likely to be curtailed because of a clash with the automaker’s works council, a person familiar with the matter said.
The board, which also includes representatives for the Porsche and Piech families, Qatar and Lower Saxony, will outline “how to continue with Mr Diess and what will be his focus area in the future,” the source said.
The board was meeting on Thursday to debate the group’s next five-year plan covering future investments, management roles and factory allocations.
The supervisory board, which oversees strategy at the automaker, will also appoint new members to the management board, which is responsible for operational activities, German press reports said.
The new management board members are expected to include VW brand CEO Ralf Brandstaetter, who will also be placed in charge of the automaker’s key China operations. Skoda boss Thomas Schaefer will be promoted to lead the VW brand in place of Brandstaetter, the reports said.
Audi’s sales and marketing boss, Hildegard Wortmann, will also get a management board seat and will take on a newly created role as head of sales at VW Group, according to Spiegel magazine.
Spokespeople for Volkswagen and the supervisory board declined to comment.
Sources had told Reuters earlier this week that Diess was likely to stay on as CEO, albeit with fewer responsibilities.
VW’s labor representatives, who hold half of the supervisory board seats, called for Diess’s dismissal because of his suggestion that massive job cuts might be needed to compete with Tesla.
