The ongoing dispute between the worker and shareholder camps at Volkswagen is now extending into the appointment of board members. According to the “Handelsblatt”, citing two sources familiar with the matter, a decision regarding the successor to former Human Resources Board Member Gunnar Kilian, who stepped down a year ago, has been postponed once again.
While the company had internally agreed on a female candidate, a final consensus could not be achieved during the VW Supervisory Board meeting last Thursday.
The root of the issue is reportedly a conflict between the two sides over several executive positions. Sources within the corporation indicate that the employee representatives made their approval conditional on planned organizational restructuring across other departments. Crucially, this includes filling a new technology division that could consolidate functions such as development and procurement.
The report suggests that the candidate in question was primarily proposed by the company side. Historically, however, the employee representatives hold the right of nomination for the HR director position. The search for a replacement for Kilian has been underway for more than a year.
A spokesperson for the Volkswagen Supervisory Board declined to comment on the affair.
