VW Aims for Greater Diversity to Keep Cheaters in Check
Though the scandal has cost the company 22.6 billion euros ($25.5 billion) in fines, repairs, and other penalties, Hans Dieter Poetsch says he's optimistic.
Photographer: Krisztian Bocsi/BloombergVolkswagen AG just can’t seem to catch a break. Since the company acknowledged cheating on emissions tests almost two years ago, it has struggled to get beyond the scandal. The latest setback: On June 15, German authorities ordered fixes to the pollution control systems on 24,000 Audis, in addition to the 11 million vehicles VW has acknowledged it equipped with software designed to circumvent environmental regulations. Hans Dieter Poetsch says it’s time to reinvent the company so such trickery can never be repeated.
Appointed Volkswagen’s chairman in the chaotic weeks after the cheating was revealed, Poetsch says the company must become more international and diverse. While the automaker’s senior managers now include a woman—Hiltrud Werner, who headed VW’s audit team—the profile of the executive suite remains little changed since the scandal was made public in September 2015. Top management is still dominated by aging German engineers: The average age is 59, and only one wasn’t born in Volkswagen’s homeland.