The Volkswagen Group on Tuesday issued the statement that it is in the process of reviewing its senior management structure and that this could result in potential personnel changes, including the position of CEO Matthias Müller.
The short statement said the VW Group board of directors is also looking at changing specific responsibilities of senior personnel and that Müller has shown a willingness to contribute to the changes.
Germany's Handelsblatt has learned from its sources that the decision to replace Müller has already been made. His successor will reportedly be Herbert Diess, who currently serves as CEO of the Volkswagen brand. The former BMW exec is a relative outsider as he only joined the VW Group a few months prior to the company's diesel scandal becoming public in September of 2015.
Müller was promoted from CEO of Porsche to the top job at the VW Group after his predecessor Martin Winterkorn stepped down in the face of the diesel scandal. Müller has so far been successful in steering the company post the scandal, having made painful cost cuts, investing in electrification and self-driving technologies, and also boosting sales.
A decision on Müller's fate could be made as early as this Friday when the VW Group's board is scheduled to meet.
