Wolfsburg, Germany - April 26, 2015, Wolfsburg, Germany - Volkswagen AG announced that Ferdinand K. Piëch has resigned from his position as chairman and from all his mandates as a supervisory board member within the Volkswagen Group.
Article continues below
k]
Mr. Piëch studied mechanical engineering at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich, Switzerland.
Mr. Piëch's professional career began in 1963 in the engine testing department of Porsche KG in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen. After exercising various functions, he became Technical Director of Porsche KG in 1971. Among the cars developed under his supervision was the legendary Porsche 917 racing car.
In 1972 Mr. Piëch moved to Audi NSU Auto Union AG, based in Ingolstadt, initially with responsibility for special technical development tasks. He became Head of Technical Development in 1974, and in the following year was appointed a board member of the company. He gave fresh impetus to Audi’s "Vorsprung durch Technik" slogan.
Mr. Piëch was the power behind the five-cylinder engine, tubocharging, the quattro driveline, fully galvanised bodyshells, direct-injection diesel engines (TDI), the first Audi V8, lightweight aluminium construction (ASF, the Audi Space Frame) and such design icons as the quattro Spyder and Avus quattro.
In 1984 Mr. Piëch was granted an honorary doctorate in technical sciences – Dr. tech. h. c. – by Vienna Technical University in recognition of his services to automobile construction. He was appointed Chairman of the Board of Management of AUDI AG in 1988, and five years later moved to Volkswagen AG in Wolfsburg, where he performed the same function. Since 2002 he has been Chairman of the Volkswagen AG Supervisory Board and a member of the Supervisory Board of AUDI AG.
The position of Chairman of the Supervisory Board will be temporarily assumed by the Deputy Chairman Berthold Huber.
Mr. Huber serves as a Trade Union Secretary at IG Metall Audi AG, Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG and Saarstahl AG. He serves as First Chairman of IG Metall, Stuttgart Audi Aktiengesellschaft; Robert Bosch GmbH; RWE Aktiengesellschaft and Saarstahl Aktiengesellschaft.
Mr. Huber has been a Deputy Chairman of Supervisory Board at Audi AG since January 1, 2006. He has been a Deputy Chairman of Supervisory Board at Volkswagen AG since May 25, 2010. He served as a Deputy Chairman of Supervisory Board at Siemens Siemens AG from January 27, 2009 to January 27, 2015. ■