FRANKFURT, July 22 (Reuters) – Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diess will leave the group, the automaker said on Friday, in a major change at the helm of one of the world’s largest German companies. .
He will be replaced by Oliver Blume, who will assume this role as of September 1.
His departure comes as Volkswagen seeks to accelerate its transition to electric plans to compete with new players such as the American Tesla, as well as to catch up on software.
The German manufacturer also wants to list its luxury car subsidiary Porsche on the stock exchange in order to finance the transition from heat-powered sports cars to electric ones.
“After a really difficult first half of 2022, many of us are looking forward to a well-deserved summer break,” wrote Herbert Diess in a LinkedIn post before his departure was announced.
His successor Oliver Blume said in a statement that he wanted to “focus on customers, brands and products”. (Report Tom Sims, French version Diana Mandi)