The famous car manufacturer Audi recently made headlines by announcing a major change in its management. After months of lacklustre performance, the company has decided to replace its CEO, Markus Duesmann, with Gernot Döllner.
Why this change?
This reshuffle comes against a backdrop of mediocre performance for Audi. In particular, the company has posted disappointing results in the United States, where it is struggling to gain market share. In addition, Audi has been criticised for its lack of progress on innovation, and some analysts are concerned that it has few new models in the pipeline.It is also important to note that this situation is not solely the result of Duesmann’s management. Audi has also been heavily penalised by delays at Cariad, the Volkswagen Group entity responsible for developing in-house software for its cars, which was to be the cornerstone of future top-of-the-range models from Porsche and Audi.
Who is Gernot Döllner?
Gernot Döllner, Audi’s new CEO, is a 30-year veteran of the Volkswagen Group. Unlike Duesmann, who came from BMW, Döllner is a genuine product of the VW Group, having spent a large part of his career at Porsche, and already knows many of his Audi colleagues because of the close technical cooperation between the two brands. This should be an advantage for him in his new role, as there has been some friction between Audi and Porsche engineers.
Döllner’s career path
Döllner initially worked as a systems analyst within the group, before moving to Porsche’s development centre in Weissach as project manager for reengineering. From 2001 to 2010, he was in charge of Porsche’s vehicle concepts. He then became Head of Product Strategy before taking charge of the Panamera model series from 2011 to 2018. Before moving to Wolfsburg, he was head of product and concept at Porsche.
Döllner and the Electric
Döllner is considered to be a strong advocate of electric powertrains. In his view, battery power is the best alternative to the internal combustion engine, not only for climate protection reasons, but also because of its superior driving characteristics. It’s an aspect that could prove crucial to Audi’s future, as the automotive industry as a whole increasingly turns to electricity.