Disrupted relationship

Expulsion or departure at your own request? The upcoming replacement of VW CEO Matthias Müller is puzzling. It seems certain that no one was really convinced.


VW-Chef Matthias Müller

VW boss Matthias Müller

Tuesday, 10.04.2018
20:20

For the shareholders of Volkswagen There was already enough to discuss at the upcoming Annual General Meeting on May 3: diesel bans, exhaust emissions and high executive salaries should be sufficient for intense debates. But all of a sudden, all of this only plays a subordinate role.

Because since this Tuesday there is a new topic with the highest priority: The upcoming farewell of CEO Matthias Müller, “Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft is considering further developing the management structure for the Group, which would also be associated with changes in the Executive Board and changes to the responsibilities of the Executive Board,” said a somewhat confused statement on Tuesday by the VW Group. This may also involve a change in the position of CEO.

Shortly thereafter, it became clear what that means in concrete terms: Müller should leave the group, as the most promising candidate for his successor is Herbert Diess, who previously leads the VW brand in the group. The “Handelsblatt” had reported about it first. The personal details are to be decided at a meeting of the Supervisory Board on Friday, according to group circles. Officially, VW does not want to comment on that. Nothing has been decided so far, so you could not answer questions about it.

Tired of duty and thin-skinned

Even when it comes to the background of Müller’s replacement, the participants wrap themselves in silence – after all, the contract of the 64-year-old actually runs until 2020. And also the Figures for 2017, which the group published in mid-March, hardly give cause for dissatisfaction.

Actually, observers of the decision are not surprised anyway. Where the interpretations differ depending on the point of view. From the circle miller is to hear the note that the post the CEO in September 2015, anyway, primarily from loyalty to the owners, so the family clan Piëchs and Porsches have taken over. The fulfillment of all his dreams was never the task. In the past few months, the manager has then increasingly harassed the adversities of his office. The undiplomatic submissions to critical inquiries in a SPIEGEL conversation were indicative of a new Dünnhäutigkeit Müller (read the interview here at SPIEGEL Plus).

There have been many examples of this thinness in recent times. Dealing with the scandal over the exhaust gas tests on monkeys belongs to it. Mueller had shown himself internally as very annoyed by it, as felt unfairly attacked, they say. Also the harsh public reaction to his proposal, the Tax for diesel to match that for gasoline, aroused his discomfort.

“He is the CEO, he has to hold his head”

In principle, albeit with opposite conclusions, they judge the situation, which is more closely related to the Supervisory Board and the owner family. There, the mood against Müller has cooled noticeably in recent months, it is said – even if all attest to him a good job. “He has done a good job, has moved a lot, initiated many things,” it says from the supervisory board. But in the past few months he had seemed tired and exhausted, drained. This had also been noticed negatively on the supervisory board.

For Muller’s increasing sensitivities one apparently wanted to muster less and less understanding. “He is the CEO, he has to hold his head for failures,” says an insider. This will be Müller finallycompensated with ten million euros annual salary, In the end, Müller’s relationship with the board felt like a broken marriage.


Aufsichtsräte Wolfgang Porsche (l.) und Stephan Weil

Supervisory Board members Wolfgang Porsche (l.) And Stephan Weil

That the Porsche Piëch family was not always satisfied with Müller, had already hinted last summer, after the VW boss had announced the sale of parts of the group. “Currently, I see no need to part with the group,” said Wolfgang Porsche, Spokesman for the family clan at the time on the sidelines of the International Motor Show IAA DER SPIEGEL. Also Müller’s plea for higher diesel taxes was not well received by the supervisory board.

The new guy should show more vigor

With his criticism, Porsche had at the same time already given an indication of where he currently sees the most important lever for Volkswagen’s future: in the profit margins of the core brand VW – the terrain of Herbert Diess, who is now traded as a successor miller.


Möglicher Müller-Nachfolger Herbert Diess

Possible Müller successor Herbert Diess

He is more elan attested than Müller showed last. “This is extremely ambitious,” says a member of the Supervisory Board. He has acquired many skills from various corporate departments also through his time at the competitor BMW.

Wolfgang Porsches support also seems certain. This could already be seen from the fact that the clan spokesman at the Geneva Motor Show last year put protective in front of the VW manager, as the lay with the strong employee representatives in the clinch. At that time it was about the planned future pact and job cuts at the VW brand. With the pact Diess wanted to cut costs significantly and make VW more profitable.

On their own, however, none of the sides in the supervisory board decide against Müller and Diess. The Porsches and Piëchs must have strong works council leader Bernd Osterloh and Lower Saxony’s prime minister Stephan Weil (SPD) on their side if they want to elect the manager on Friday as the new boss.

Go to source