Audi’s acting boss is bram schot

Audi supervisory board suspended ceo rupert stadler on tuesday and appointed sales director bram schot as his provisional successor.

Stadler will be temporarily relieved of his duties "until the facts that led to his arrest are clarified," the VW subsidiary announced. However, employee representatives now expect a fresh start.

Stadler has been in custody in augsburg since monday and can no longer perform his duties, at least for the time being. The public prosecutor’s office in munich accuses him of fraud in the diesel scandal and of planning to influence witnesses or co-defendants.

In order for day-to-day business at audi to continue, the supervisory board of audi and parent company VW had to make a quick decision. Discussions on monday dragged on into the night, but on tuesday things moved quickly. Stadler himself has asked for his leave of absence, VW and audi said. This request had been granted by the supervisory board. Bram schot "is taking over the chairmanship of the audi board of management on an interim basis with immediate effect," the carmaker announced. At the same time, he will attend "as a guest at the meetings of the group board" of VW.

Stadler, as head of audi, is also a member of the VW group board of management; VW boss herbert diess only gave him responsibility for sales in the group in april. Bram schot has been a member of the audi board of management since september and is head of sales there. 56-year-old hollander was previously head of sales at VW commercial vehicles for five years.

VW and audi supervisory board keep all options open with interim solution. However, the head of the works council and deputy head of the audi supervisory board, peter mosch, found clear words: "our workforce and our brand image must not continue to suffer from the burdensome situation."

IG metall board member and audi supervisory board member irene schulz said: "even though the presumption of innocence applies to mr. Stadler, he is relieved of his duties as chairman of the board of audi AG until further notice. This is the right decision from the employees’ point of view."The staff "needs a clear perspective and the certainty that the company can fully face the future issues of the industry," said the trade unionist.

The works council expects schot to bring audi "back into calmer waters," to press ahead with clearing up the diesel scandal and to drive the change toward electric cars and digitization "in the interests of the workforce". Audi employs 44,000 people in ingolstadt and 17,000 in neckarsulm in wurttemberg. Audi’s first two e-car models to be built in brussel.

The munich public prosecutor’s office is investigating not only stadler in the diesel scandal, but also another audi board member who has not been named. In addition, a former porsche development board member who used to be an engine developer at audi is being held in custody in munich.

Stadler is awaiting his first interrogation at the JVA in augsburg – probably this week, a spokeswoman said. Stadler had indicated that he would recuse himself from the matter after consulting with his defense counsel. The 55-year-old was arrested at his home in golstadt on monday. He is alleged to have planned to influence witnesses or co-defendants after the investigation into the diesel scandal was opened. Investigators had also tapped his phone. There is no deadline for the custody investigation, but the public prosecutor’s office must work more quickly in custody cases.

RELATED POSTS

Assault on woman in herzogenaurach: why the alleged perpetrator was not taken into custody There is no reason to take the alleged perpetrator into custody. This is how the investigating judge assessed the case of attempted rape in…

Deutsche bank restructures: ritchie leaves, sewing takes over Deutsche bank restructures the management of its investment bank, which has been flagging recently. Group CEO christian sewing will take over…

Father of isolated family reports “emigration” He had himself removed from the dutch residents' registration list in 2009, a spokesman for the public prosecutor's office said in groningen on…

Endgames for kovac – title as job guarantee atfcbayern? Champion, cup winner – and gone? This strange scenario no longer seems out of the question for niko kovac ahead of two FC bayern finals. The 47-year-old…