BREAKING: Winterkorn To Be Replaced By Porsche CEO Matthias Mller on Friday (UPDATE 1)

Mark Stevenson
by Mark Stevenson

After Volkswagen admitted to gaming emissions tests with software containing a “defeat device”, German publication Der Tagesspiegel (via Jalopnik) is reporting that Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn will be replaced at the end of the week by Porsche CEO Matthias Müller.

The German outlet — the name of which translates to “The Daily Mirror” — reportedly gained the information from “supervisory circles”.

Volkswagen has not yet confirmed the rumor.

Update 1: Reuters is reporting that a Volkswagen spokesman described the report as “ridiculous.” A spokesman for Porsche said Müller is at a Volkswagen board meeting today in Wolfsburg.

In April, after a prolonged battle between Winterkorn and then-Chairman Ferdinand Piech, the supervisory board supported Winterkorn which resulted in Piech resigning his chairmanship.

At the beginning of September, it was announced Winterkorn’s contract was to be extended into 2018 on this coming Friday. That contract extension looks to be cancelled.

Winterkorn was initially tipped to take the Chairman position, but Volkswagen’s parent company — Porsche SE — proposed its own CFO, Hans Dieter Poetsch, for the position. That proposal was supported by the Volkswagen supervisory board.

Matthias Müller is a Volkswagen lifer, starting his career at Audi in 1977 as a toolmaker before going back to school and returning to Audi as a junior manager of its IT department in 1984. Müller has also held management positions at Lamborghini and Volkswagen.

Mark Stevenson
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  • Ah_non_e_mouse Ah_non_e_mouse on Sep 22, 2015

    September 14, 2015 http://motrolix.com/2015/09/volkswagen-group-ranked-most-sutainable-automotive-company-in-recent-study/ "Sustainability investing group RobecoSAM AG has found Volkswagen Group to be the most sustainable automaker in the world in this year’s review of the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI). This year’s review analyzed the performance of 33 different automotive companies, with VW topping all of them with a total of 91 of 100 possible ratings points. “This distinction is a great success for the entire team. It confirms that the Volkswagen Group is well on the way to establishing itself long term as the world’s most sustainable automaker,” said VW Group chairman Prof. Dr. Martin Winterkorn. VW was awarded 93 points in the sector of economic sustainability, 91 for social sustainability and 89 for ecological sustainability. It also received full marks in the areas of codes of conduct, compliance and anti-corruption as well as innovation management, climate strategy and life cycle assessment. RobecoSAM also found VW to be the industry benchmark for supplier management and environmental reporting." Wow. What a difference a week makes.

  • Ninjacommuter Ninjacommuter on Sep 22, 2015

    There may not be direct fatalities from this massive fraud, known at the highest levels of VW for at least a year, but the environment was intentionally damaged illegally. Serious legal consequences should follow, including pursuit of criminal charges on the executives in both Germany and the U.S. It is past time to hold executives and companies accountable for putting the public at risk for their knowing actions. This includes the Peanut fiasco killing nine, the Blue Bell listeria killing three, and this intentional bypassing of environmental laws. And don't think this shouldn't include the EPA's Animas River incident, either. All should be legally pursued enthusiastically.

  • Mojo_Mike Mojo_Mike on Sep 22, 2015

    Looks like Ferdinand Piëch showed Winkerton the door after all.

    • ExPatBrit ExPatBrit on Sep 22, 2015

      They are allocating 1Quarter profits to initially address this, might be a bit optimistic for 11 million diesels. Instead of VAG buying Fiat, maybe Sergio could pick them up cheap. FCA could get Seat back and Lamborghini as well.

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