change at the top of the Czech VW subsidiary Skoda: Bernhard Maier is from the end of this month, is no longer Chairman of the Board. He’ll give the office to 31. From July, the company said on Thursday in Mlada Boleslav. Maier headed the automaker since November 2015. Previously, he had worked as a sales Director in the Board of Directors of the sports manufacturer Porsche cars. About the conversion plans the VW Management had previously reported the “Handelsblatt”.
The decision came unexpectedly. Skoda is in the VW group to be very successful when it comes to Trimming on yield – so successful, in fact, that the representatives of the earlier a long time, feel the yield weak core brand in VW Cars, often the savings forced under pressure. In the group, Skoda should be a bulwark against Eastern European competition. Under the 60-year-old Swabia Skoda brought out new models like the SUVs Kamiq and Kodiaq and revised the success of the Octavia model.
Recently, there had been some reorganisation of the staff will maneuver in the VW group. First and foremost, the group chief Herbert Diess had to give up the leadership of the core brand, his right-Hand man Ralf Brandstätter, took over. In the case of Truck and bus olding Traton Matthias Gründler replaces the time-VW-Truck-Board member, Andreas Renschler, the Vans division, VW commercial vehicles, Carsten Intra, took over, meanwhile the tax.
Last year, in front of the Corona-crisis, Skoda increased its sales by around 15 per cent to 19.8 billion euros, operating profit by around one-fifth to 1.7 billion. While Skoda has made every 100 euros in revenue, around 8,40 euros in operating profit. For comparison, The VW core brand, came in front of Diesel costs around 4.30 euros. In the previous year worldwide, 1.24 million new cars were delivered. Out of the Czech plants, the record number of 910 000 vehicles from the Assembly line – 2.25 per cent more than in 2018 came in.
Also for Skoda, the transition to electric mobility is a challenge. With the Superb iV of the first Plug came relatively late-in Hybrid on the market. In addition, Skoda threatens to be again and again a victim of its own success, since the capacities are pushed to their limits. Relief should bring a VW factory in Turkey, the plans for this were abandoned in the meantime.
According to a report in the newspaper “Automobilwoche” has to be the Volkswagen-chief in South Africa, Thomas Schäfer, the best prospects, new Skoda-top man. The sheet relies on sources from the parent company. The successor to Maiers is to be elected in the first Skoda Board meeting in August.
dpa