[Tushar]

After the resignation of Prof. Dr. Winfried Vahland, the VW group has appointed Porsche AG’s former sales and marketing director as Skoda’s new CEO, effective Nov 1, 2015. The move comes in around two weeks after Dr. Vahland, who was to head Volkswagen North America, resigned due to differences over the group’s restructuring.

Maier has an extensive amount of experience in the automotive industry. Apart from being well versed with the mechanical end of automobiles, he held several managerial positions at BMW in Germany, before joining Porsche AG and becoming the German performance car brand’s sales and marketing chief and contributing to the brand’s model range expansion as well.

The VW group is still in damage control mode and will rely on the market acumen of executives like Bernhard Maier, to bolster the growth of mass market brands like Skoda, which recently launched the highly anticipated 3rd generation Superb.

[i74js]

Sensible decision. Bernhard is well respected both within and outside of VAG and brings onboard outstanding knowledge and industry insight with him.

I am sure that VAG board must have taken this unanimous decision without any hesitation.

Struggle is on for next couple of years but then if VAG comes out of this mess, it will bounce back like anything.

Cheers

[volkman10]

Skoda Chief Bernhard Maier To Lead Porsche.

Jochen Sengpiehl, VW’s Chief Marketing Officer and the man responsible for an allegedly racist Instagram video, will reportedly be sacked

- the Group is planning a massive management reshuffle, which will see Herbert Diess stepping down from the helm of Volkswagen, although he will remain the chairman of the Group.

-Steering the Volkswagen ship going forward will be Oliver Blume, current Porsche CEO

-Skoda’s head honcho, Bernhard Maier, who has held the reins of the Czech brand ever since the end of 2015, will be pulled from his position and named CEO of Porsche

Link

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[volkman10]

Skoda boss Bernhard Maier to leave firm.

Volkswagen Group veteran will leave Czech brand after successful five-year stint in charge.

No reason for Maier’s departure has been given, nor confirmation on whether he is leaving the Volkswagen Group. Maier has served in various roles within the Group since joining to run Porsche’s German division in 2001.

In a statement, Skoda said a successor would be elected in line with Czech law and would be announced at the firm’s next board meeting in August.

German newspaper Handelsblatt reported that Maier upset some Group board members with his push to expand Skoda sales in key Volkswagen markets while undercutting the German brand on cost, thanks to lower production costs in the Czech Republic.

Link