Volkswagen Group continues the management reshuffle with three new changes at the top of Skoda, TRATON, and VW Commercial Vehicles.
In a rather surprising move, Skoda announced Bernhard Maier is stepping down as Chairman of the Board of Directors on July 31, after almost five years of leading the Czech company. Skoda did not provide a reason for Maier’s departure, but said his successor will be elected in accordance with Czech law and announced at the company’s first board meeting in August.
A former BMW and Porsche executive, Bernhard Maier was at Skoda’s helm during one of its most successful periods in its history.
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On July 7, VW Group also announced that Traton CEO Andreas Renschler will be leaving the Board of Management of Volkswagen AG and the Board of Management of Traton SE on July 15.
“Mr. Renschler is leaving the company by best mutual consent. This was announced by the company on Tuesday in Wolfsburg. Mr. Renschler’s successor as Chairman of the Board of Management of TRATON will be Matthias Gründler, who was Chief Financial Officer of the company until May 2018,” VW said in a short statement. TRATON Group is a holding company that includes the MAN, Scania, and Volkswagen Caminhões e Ônibus brands.
Andreas Renschler became TRATON CEO in 2015 and oversaw the company’s successful IPO in Frankfurt and Stockholm last year.
That’s not all, as the German automotive giant also announced changes at the top of its Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles subsidiary on July 7. Thomas Sedran, the current Chairman of the Board of Management at Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, will be stepping down on September 1 to be replaced by Carsten Intra. After that date, Sedran will head up management of commercial vehicle and engineering assets within the Volkswagen Group, reporting directly to Board of Management member responsible for HR, Gunnar Kilian.
Thomas Sedran oversaw the cooperation with Ford on commercial vehicles and played an important role in the development of the VW ID. Buzz and ID. Buzz Cargo electric vans.
These latest management changes come not long after the VW Group reduced the responsibilities of its CEO Herbert Diess by handing the leadership of the Volkswagen Passenger Cars core brand to Ralf Brandstätter.