Volkswagen of America CEO Michael Horn has resigned, effectively immediately. The company announced Horn’s departure in a press release on Wednesday.
Hinrich J. Woebcken, the current head of VW Group’s North American region, will take over for Horn until a permanent successor is announced.
The last we’d heard any rumors of Horn’s departure was in September, when Horn’s potential resignation was mentioned alongside that of Audi’s Ulrich Hackenberg and Porsche’s Wolfgang Hatz. The sudden resignation of Volkswagen’s U.S. chief does not bode well for the company’s prospects of delivering an acceptable solution to the ongoing “dieselgate” scandal.
Horn’s tenure with Volkswagen’s beleaguered American arm was relatively short-lived. He took over for former VoA CEO Jonathon Browning in December of 2013 after the latter resigned suddenly, citing personal reasons.
“Volkswagen would like to thank Horn for his contributions to the company during his tenure in the United States,” the company said in the brief announcement.
Herbert Diess, CEO of Volkswagen brand, added, “During his time in the U.S., Michael Horn built up a strong relationship with our national dealer body and showed exemplary leadership during difficult times for the brand.”
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