Volkswagen replaces North America CEO Kjell Gruner after sales drop

Management

โดย Yahoo Finance·

Summary · why it matters

Volkswagen is replacing its top North American executive, Kjell Gruner, with Marco Schubert, effective October 1, following a prolonged sales slump that saw U.S. deliveries fall about 14% last year and continue declining around 7% in the first half of 2026. Schubert, a veteran with over 25 years at Volkswagen, will report directly to CEO Oliver Blume, a structural change signaling the region's priority. The appointment triggers a chain of executive moves across the group, including Martin Sander moving to Audi, Martin Jahn to the Volkswagen brand, Martina Biene to Škoda, and Christiane Zorn to lead Volkswagen Group Africa. Volkswagen faces pressure from tariffs, costing about $5.8 billion annually, and a restructuring plan that could cut up to 100,000 jobs, as first-quarter 2026 net profit fell 28% to €1.56 billion.