, Columnist
Porsche and Volkswagen Deserve Full-Time Drivers at the Wheel
Oliver Blume’s dual-CEO role is becoming harder to justify.
Two automakers, one guvnor?
Photographer: David Hecker/DDP/Getty images
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When Oliver Blume accepted the role of chief executive officer of Volkswagen AG in 2022, he did so on condition he retain his previous gig running Porsche AG, which he’s held since 2015. It looks increasingly like one job too many.
Porsche is VW’s most valuable asset and, at the time of Blume’s promotion, the 911 manufacturer was preparing to go public. He is now CEO of both DAX-listed companies, devoting roughly half his time to each — an unusual arrangement that echoes how Carlos Ghosn once ran Renault SA and Nissan Motor Co. simultaneously, and how Elon Musk’s currently leads Tesla Inc. and SpaceX.