Embattled Volkswagen brand chief hangs on amidst investigation
Embattled German car maker Volkswagen’s under fire brand chief has vowed to hang on in his job despite becoming subject to an investigation by German prosecutors, according to one local paper.
Herbert Diess is being investigated as part of a wider probe into whether the manufacturer had contravened disclosure and market manipulation rules by delaying a formal announcement that it had been cheating emissions tests.
This sorry saga has cast a cloud over Diess ever since the scandal first came to light last September but in a combative performance he said the question of whether he would continue in post was ‘not up for debate’.
Diess reckons that Volkswagen’s reputation will take as much as 18 months to recover with a strategic turnaround not expected to deliver fruit for up to 14 years as a company-wide shift to IT and electric batteries is expected to take two vehicle generations to realise.