VW USA CEO Quits as Latest Casualty of Dieselgate Scandal
Volkswagen Group of America has announced that its president and CEO, Michael Horn, will be leaving the company effective immediately.
It is the latest development in the company’s massive diesel scandal and according to the German automaker, it was a “mutual agreement” that Horn will be leaving to pursue other opportunities. Hinrich J. Woebcken, who was recently announced as the new Head of the North American Region and Chairman of Volkswagen Group of America will assume the role of president and CEO on an interim basis.
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“I want personally to say ‘thank you’ to Michael Horn for the great work he has done for the brand and with the dealers in the United States,” said Herbert Diess, CEO of Volkswagen brand. “During his time in the U.S., Michael Horn built up a strong relationship with our national dealer body and showed exemplary leadership during difficult times for the brand,” he added.
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Jason Siu began his career in automotive journalism in 2003 with Modified Magazine, a property previously held by VerticalScope. As the West Coast Editor, he played a pivotal role while also extending his expertise to Modified Luxury & Exotics and Modified Mustangs. Beyond his editorial work, Jason authored two notable Cartech books. His tenure at AutoGuide.com saw him immersed in the daily news cycle, yet his passion for hands-on evaluation led him to focus on testing and product reviews, offering well-rounded recommendations to AutoGuide readers. Currently, as the Content Director for VerticalScope, Jason spearheads the content strategy for an array of online publications, a role that has him at the helm of ensuring quality and consistency across the board.
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My take is that he likely had nothing to do with causing the scandal but found his career was damaged by it and started looking at other opportunities soon after it hit.
Horn was forced to resign. Two possibilities: video showing him attending an emissions dynamometer test or VW USA will not survive to see the New Year.