“We must fix those cars”, Mr Horn said in NY on Sept 21.
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The German automaker said on an interim basis, Hinrich J. Woebcken, a former BMW executive who ran global purchasing among other jobs, is filling Horn’s job.
Mr. Horn took over Volkswagen of America at a time of disarray in 2014 and won the respect of US dealers who had lost their tolerance for what some called a tone deaf management. In a statement, the company said Horn reached an agreement with Volkswagen ‘s parent company on his resignation.
Volkswagen’s top executive in the U.S. is stepping down almost six months after the German carmaker became engulfed in the diesel emissions scandal. The 54-year-old executive was well-liked by Volkswagen dealers for his frankness and has been the embattled company’s chief spokesman in the U.S.as it worked to regain trust with auto buyers and dealers.
During the initial response to the crisis, Mr Horn was VW’s public face in the United States, apologizing days after the scandal became public and testifying before Congress.
It’s unclear exactly why Horn is leaving.
Horn made headlines last September shortly after the VW emissions-cheating scandal broke, saying at vehicle launch event that the company “totally screwed up” and acknowledging that it likely would suffer big financial penalties due to the scandal. “I agree it is very hard to believe”, he said.
“During his time in the U.S., Michael Horn built up a strong relationship with our national dealer body and showed exemplary leadership during hard times for the brand”.
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Nearly 600,000 VW cars in the USA are affected, but the company says about 11 million vehicles worldwide were fitted with the engine software. The U.S. Justice Department, in addition to seeking billions of dollars of damages in a civil lawsuit, is pursuing a criminal investigation of Volkswagen.
