Next Up For New VW Chief Diess: Chair Of Audi’s Supervisory Board

Volkswagen has elevated Herbert Diess from running the brand to the helm of the entire group. But that’s not the only promotion in store for the German exec.

Automotive News reports that Diess could next be named chair of Audi – albeit its supervisory board, not its management body. That would make him more like the chairman of the board rather than its chief executive, a position currently held by Rupert Stadler.

The chair of Audi’s supervisory board is traditionally held by the CEO of the VW group. It’s a role that’s been held until now by his predecessor, Matthias Müller, who’s now on his way out. Before Müller, it was held by Martin Winterkorn. Müller remains listed as a member of Porsche SE’s board, among other roles that will likely now pass to Diess once approved by their respective supervisory boards. Those could include the chairs of the Volkswagen Truck & Bus GmbH and its Scania division.

The Audi appointment would put Diess in supervisory charge of a brand with which his previous employer BMW is a direct competitor. At the Bavarian automaker, Diess held a number of roles that culminated with his appointment in 2007 as head of purchasing. He came to Volkswagen in 2015 as chair of the brand’s (and member of the group’s) management boards.

He’s a Munich native, having been born there in 1958. He earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from universities in the Bavarian capital. Volkswagen’s headquarters in Wolfsburg lay five hours to the north of Munich, passing Audi’s in Ingolstadt less than an hour along the way.