Thomas Schäfer, CEO of VW, and member of the VW Group’s Board of Directors, is not one to mince words when it comes to the business consortium he represents. For example, he was the first to “let slip” that Seat would no longer be an automaker in the traditional sense of the term, long before it became news. And he is also straightforward when he believes it is necessary to take aim “at home,” to criticize the recent performance of the brand he has led since July 2022: “With many of our pre-existing structures, processes, and costs, we have ceased to be competitive,” said the 53-year-old German at an emergency meeting in Wolfsburg, as reported by Reuters.
This statement, which quickly spread around the world, was allegedly made in conversation with various members of the group’s Board of Directors, and in discussion with Gunnard Kilian, a member of the board responsible for human resources, who advocates for an investment in early or partial retirement processes to reduce costs. Schäfer aims to achieve savings of 10 billion euros and an operating margin between 9% and 11% by 2030, and believes that “it will not be enough without significant cuts.” The company’s restructuring plan will be crucial to accelerate the launch of the SSP platform, which will serve a new generation of models in key segments, including the new all-electric Golf.
