Members of the Supervisory Board and Board of Management
Mr. Kai Bliesener, Head of Vehicle Construction, and Automotive and Supplier Industry Coordinator at IG Metall, stepped down from the Volkswagen AG Supervisory Board effective March 31, 2021. Mr. Bliesener had been a member of the Supervisory Board since June 20, 2020. The court appointed Mr. Matías Carnero Sojo, Chair of the General Works Council of SEAT, to replace him with effect from April 1, 2021.
Effective May 11, 2021, Ms. Daniela Cavallo was appointed by the court as a replacement member of the Volkswagen AG Supervisory Board. Moreover, the Supervisory Board elected her as a member of the Executive Committee on May 18, 2021. Ms. Cavallo has been the Chair of the General and Group Works Councils of Volkswagen AG since the end of April 2021. She succeeds Mr. Bernd Osterloh as a member of the Supervisory Board and Executive Committee of Volkswagen AG, who resigned his post with effect from April 30, 2021.
The terms of office of Dr. Louise Kiesling and Mr. Hans Dieter Pötsch as members of the Volkswagen AG Supervisory Board duly ended at the close of the 61st Annual General Meeting. The Annual General Meeting elected both for a further full term of office as shareholder representatives on the Supervisory Board. On July 22, 2021, the Supervisory Board of Volkswagen AG reelected Mr. Hans Dieter Pötsch as its Chair and Mr. Jörg Hofmann as its Deputy Chair.
Mr. Athanasios Stimoniaris, former Chair of the Group Works Council of TRATON SE, resigned from his post as a member of the Volkswagen AG Supervisory Board with effect from August 31. Mr. Stimoniaris had been a member of the Supervisory Board since 2015. Mr. Jens Rothe, Chair of the General Works Council of Volkswagen Sachsen GmbH, was appointed by the court to replace him with effect from October 22, 2021.
In December 2020, the Supervisory Board of Volkswagen AG decided to split up the responsibility for Components and Procurement from January 1, 2021, replacing it with two new Board positions: Purchasing and Technology. Effective January 1, 2021, the Supervisory Board appointed Mr. Murat Aksel, previously Board member for Procurement at the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand, and Mr. Thomas Schmall-von Westerholt, previously Board member for Components at the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand, as new members of the Board of Management. Mr. Aksel took over responsibility for Purchasing, while Mr. Schmall-von Westerholt became the Board member responsible for Technology.
Dr. Arno Antlitz, previously member of the Board of Management of AUDI AG for Finance and Legal Affairs, took over as the Volkswagen AG Board of Management member responsible for Finance and IT effective April 1, 2021. He succeeded Mr. Frank Witter, who left the Company at his own request effective March 31, 2021. With effect from July 1, 2021, the Finance and IT Board position was divided into two separate Board positions: Finance and IT. Dr. Antlitz was assigned responsibility for Finance, and also held interim responsibility for IT until the appointment of a further member of the Board of Management.
The Supervisory Board resolved in December 2021 to increase the number of members on the Group Board of Management and to reorganize the structure and functions of the Board in this context. A new Board division – Volkswagen Passenger Cars – was established as of January 1, 2022, managed by Mr. Ralf Brandstätter with effect from the same date. Moreover, a new Board division – Group Sales – was established as of February 1, managed by Ms. Hildegard Wortmann with effect from the same date. Ms. Hiltrud Werner’s term of office on the Volkswagen AG Board of Management came to an end on January 31, 2022. Responsibility for the Integrity and Legal Affairs division, which she had led, passed to Dr. Manfred Döss with effect from February 1, 2022. Also with effect from February 1, 2022, Ms. Hauke Stars assumed responsibility for the IT Board position, which had been held during the interim by Dr. Antlitz.
Our sincere thanks go to all of the departing members of the Supervisory Board and the Board of Management for their work.