Feeling Pressure, Volkswagen Bumps Up Exec Meetings

Aaron Cole
by Aaron Cole

Volkswagen’s top-level executives will meet again next week, the third meeting for the supervisory group in as many weeks, for an unusual crisis-planning cram session, according to Reuters.

“In this special situation it would not be enough for the executive committee to only meet ahead of a supervisory board meeting, or every six to eight weeks,” according to one of the sources.

The call for the emergency meeting comes shortly after one of the supervisory members, Stephan Weil, who is Lower Saxony’s prime minister, called for the automaker to come clean within three months. Volkswagen’s regularly scheduled shareholder meeting will be at the end of April.

“There is a very legitimate concern on the part of U.S. authorities, the public and the company itself for a comprehensive investigation,” Weil said in an interview, according to Bloomberg (via Automotive News). “It’s in the interest of VW to provide a complete clarification.”

New Volkswagen CEO Matthias Müller has come under fire for a disastrous trip to the U.S. where he met with environmental regulators to discuss the company’s fix for its cars without apparent progress toward a solution, and a radio interview where he initially downplayed the deception by the automaker.

Weil said he supported Müller and that the company could withstand the crisis.

“I am confident that later we’ll be able to say the bottom line is, this crisis made Volkswagen stronger,” Weil said.

[Image: Volkswagen]

Aaron Cole
Aaron Cole

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 11 comments
  • Jpolicke Jpolicke on Jan 26, 2016

    "What do you mean we're doing nothing? We held meetings!"

    • RobertRyan RobertRyan on Jan 26, 2016

      You would think they were Apple or Google who pay no or extremely little tax on earnings. Strange VW gets a lot more attention than those US Corporations

  • LeeK LeeK on Jan 26, 2016

    Müller was very much a product of the Piëch culture and it's showing in his tone-deaf handling of the constant barrage of bad news coming out of Wolfsburg. There are consultants that specialize in corporate crisis management and it would behoove VW to hire them immediately and listen to what they have to say. Müller may be a competent automotive executive but it's becoming pretty clear he may not be the right man for the job. Mary Barra's apologies at GM were far better received and an example of how a CEO should react to this kind of life-or-death crisis for the brands involved.

    • See 2 previous
    • NickS NickS on Jan 26, 2016

      @VoGo Leek, my thoughts exactly. And as vogo said its definitely not the company to hire anyone outside its dna. It is big stetch for them to hire from BMW or Benz. I can't imagine any diversity of views within the new-but-very-much-the-same VW.

  • Storz Storz on Jan 26, 2016

    BUY THEM BACK

    • See 1 previous
    • Brettc Brettc on Jan 27, 2016

      +1000 Got a P047F error on my car last night, which is the exhaust flap. And this is at 44000 miles. VW has extended the warranty to 10 years/120000 miles, but I'd like to dump this car because I know it's going to get expensive. VW dragging this debacle out doesn't help anyone.

  • SCE to AUX SCE to AUX on Jan 26, 2016

    Maybe they should practice their English in those meetings.

    • Bumpy ii Bumpy ii on Jan 27, 2016

      Horst: Homer, could we have a word with you? Homer: No. Horst: I must have phrased that badly, my English is, how you say, inelegant. What I meant to say is: "Can we have a brief friendly chat?" Homer: No! Horst: Once again I have failed. (brings out a phrase book) "We request the pleasure of your company for a free exchange of ideas."

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