Will Porsche CEO Blume step down to focus on Volkswagen role?
The German business newspaper Wirtschaftswoche (WiWo) was the first to report on the expected leadership change, citing “several high-ranking insiders from the corporation, works council and financial circles.” According to the report, Blume has opted to leave his post at Porsche to concentrate fully on his responsibilities at Volkswagen.
Blume has been at the helm of Porsche for ten years now, and he has also been leading the VW Group since 2022. He took over the latter position from Herbert Diess in September 2022. Blume himself has said several times that the dual role is “not designed to last forever.” Recently, shareholders have also become increasingly uncomfortable with this organisational structure.
Blume’s dual role at Porsche and Volkswagen has been a frequent point of criticism from investors, particularly as Porsche’s financial performance has weakened. The carmaker’s net profit dropped to 718 million euros in the first half of 2025, a decline of more than 71 per cent compared with the same period last year. Part of that it because of US tariffs, but also because of China’s luxury tax on high-end EVs.
WiWo states that discussions on a successor are already taking place between Blume, Volkswagen Supervisory Board Chairman Hans Dieter Pötsch, representatives of the Porsche and Piëch families, and the works council. While the transition was initially due to be announced in September, the process has been delayed. Insiders expect the change to be communicated in the autumn and implemented by early 2026.
But the search for a successor is complicated as the Porsche and Piëch families, Blume and the works council each appear to favour different candidates. Both internal and external successors are being considered. WiWo reports that the families want the appointment of a new CEO to signal to capital markets that Porsche’s restructuring will be pursued with determination.
This is not the first recent change at the head of the Porsche management team. In February, Jochen Breckner and Matthias Becker were appointed to lead the departments Finance and IT and Sales and Marketing, respectively. That was after Chief Financial Officer Lutz Meschke and Chief Sales Officer Detlev von Platen were asked to step down – likely due to economic developments last year.
Earlier this year, the sports car manufacturer announced a savings programme that would see some 1,9000 jobs cut by 2030. This comes after around 1,500 temporary employees had reportedly already been made redundant. In parallel, Porsche has announced the reorganisation of its battery subsidiary Cellforce. Between 200 and 290 jobs are to be cut as the focus shifts to cell and system development. The company stated that earlier plans “to expand the production of high-performance batteries will not be pursued.”
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