CEO who pushed for goodwill package for owners leaves as VW diesel crisis gets worse
Volkswagen quietly announced U.S. CEO Michael Horn is leaving the automaker after 25 years at VW Automotive Group and six months into the diesel crisis.
Horn, 54, is departing via a “mutual agreement,” with Hinrich J. Woebcken taking over his role on a temporary basis. Woebcken was recently announced head of the North American region, a new position created several months ago above the heads of U.S., Canadian, and Mexican operations.
Horn has been the U.S. CEO since January of 2014, and survived the initial dieselgate fallout in part due to vigorous support from the U.S. dealer network.
“I want personally to say ‘thank you’ to Michael Horn for the great work he has done for the brand and with the dealers in the United States,” said Dr. Herbert Diess, CEO of Volkswagen brand. “During his time in the U.S., Michael Horn built up a strong relationship with our national dealer body and showed exemplary leadership during difficult times for the brand.”
Horn had remained relatively unscathed and was not the subject of finger-pointing either by German authorities or the EPA.
Horn became the face of the diesel crisis in the U.S., apologizing for the automaker’s creation of emissions-cheating software.
Horn earlier served as global head of after sales at VW, and, after moving to the States to take up the post of CEO, quickly won the praise of dealers through a number of reforms that altered quotas and other unpopular fixtures of the business.
Horn was noticeably upset by revelations of emissions-cheating software, and remained candid and optimistic about a rebound for the brand. The departing CEO was present at the launch of the 2016 Volkswagen Passat in Brooklyn, New York, in the days following the announcement of emissions cheating, and faced the task of putting on a brave face and apologizing for the scandal.
“So let’s be clear about this: our company was dishonest with the EPA and the California Air Resources Board, and with all of you,” Horn said during the launch of the Passat. “And in my German words, we have totally screwed up.”
News of Horn’s departure this week was met with dismay by the U.S. dealer network association, Automotive News reports.
“The [VW] National Dealer Advisory Council wants to acknowledge Michael for his leadership and strength through the continued mismanagement of the diesel scandal that has plagued our sales and reputation more than any other global market,” the VW dealer council said in a statement.
Horn’s departure follows a bleak assessment of VW’s financial health and future in the U.S. by VW CEO Matthias Mueller, and the publication of a general timeline of the diesel crisis that pinpointed VW’s awareness of diesel emission discrepancies to the spring of 2014.
Volkswagen U.S. CEO Michael Horn is out
0 Komentar