There will be speculation about what happened behind the scenes here, but in the end, the U.S. CEO of Volkswagen, Michael Horn is no longer with the company. The move couldn’t have come at a worse time for the company as it tries to resurrect sales figures in the wake of the Dieselgate crisis. The reports indicate that the CEO and the company had mutually parted ways. However, details have emerged that paint a far different picture of the executive being forced out.
Horn was a 26 year veteran of the company and one of the most recognizable faces of the company since the diesel emissions cheating scandal broke. In Associated Press report, a longtime Texas dealer indicated that the pressure to oust Horn came from management after a series of clashes surrounding the direction of the company in the US. VW management didn’t care for his proposed plans, and Horn disagreed with theirs, including a struggle over what models the company would be providing for the US market. If there is a silver lining in VW’s ongoing reinvention, it’s that Horn wasn’t a part of the ongoing negotiations with federal regulators.
The report indicates that Volkswagen was preparing to put another executive in place with authority over Horn’s office. Word from the dealer network is that there are strong feelings about the direction of the company and this ouster may be a tipping point in relations with many dealers.
