Matthias Muller (62) has been
appointed CEO of Volkswagen AG with immediate effect. This was decided by the
Supervisory Board at its meeting in Wolfsburg on September 25, 2015). Müller is
currently Chairman of Porsche AG in Stuttgart. He will continue in this
function until a successor has been found. This was stated in a press release
issued by the company.
Matthias Muller's current
contract as a Board member of Volkswagen AG will continue to apply in his new
function as CEO. This contract runs until the end of February 2020. Matthias
Müller succeeds Prof. Dr. Martin Winterkorn, who offered his resignation on
September 23, 2015.
The interim Chairman of the
Supervisory Board of Volkswagen AG, Berthold Huber, underscored: "Matthias
Müller is a person of great strategic, entrepreneurial and social competence.
He knows the Group and its brands well and can immediately engage in his new
task with full energy. We expressly value his critical and constructive
approach."
Bernd Osterloh, Chairman of
the Group Works Council, commented: "When it comes to leadership
appointments the Volkswagen Group does not need hasty decisions. We know and
value Matthias Müller for his determination and decisiveness. He does not work
on his own, rather he is a team player. That is what Volkswagen needs
now."
Matthias Müller said: "My
most urgent task is to win back trust for the Volkswagen Group – by leaving no
stone unturned and with maximum transparency, as well as drawing the right
conclusions from the current situation. Under my leadership, Volkswagen will do
everything it can to develop and implement the most stringent compliance and
governance standards in our industry. If we manage to achieve that then the Volkswagen
Group with its innovative strength, its strong brands and above all its
competent and highly motivated team has the opportunity to emerge from this
crisis stronger than before."
Matthias Müller was born in
Chemnitz (Saxony) on June 9, 1953. He completed his high school education in
Ingolstadt followed by an apprenticeship as a toolmaker with Audi AG. He then
studied computer science at Munich University of Applied Sciences. After
obtaining his master's degree in computer science, Müller resumed his career
with Audi AG in Ingolstadt in 1978, becoming Head of the Systems Analysis
Division in 1984 and Head of Project Management for the Audi A3 in 1993. He
assumed responsibility for Product Management at Audi AG, SEAT and Lamborghini
in 1995.
Müller moved to Wolfsburg as
Head of Product Management of the Volkswagen Group and the Volkswagen brand in
2007 and also became a General Representative of the Volkswagen Group. He has
been Chairman of the Executive Board of Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG and a member
of the Executive Board of Porsche Automobil Holding SE since 2010. In his
function as Chairman of the Executive Board of Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG,
Müller was appointed member of the Board of Management of Volkswagen AG
effective March 1, 2015.
Source: Volkswagen