Shortly before today’s general meeting of Volkswagen, former Renk boss Susanne Wiegand announced her resignation from the supervisory board of the Wolfsburg-based automobile group. The 54-year-old manager withdrew her candidacy yesterday evening after a meeting of the control committee, according to those involved. With her departure, Volkswagen AG will lose its only independent representative on the supervisory board to date.
Wiegand has been a member of the Volkswagen Supervisory Board since July 2025 and was chairwoman of the Audit Committee. Their mandate was assigned to Porsche SE, which holds 53.3 percent of the common shares. She is also a member of the supervisory board of the chemicals trader Brenntag and the defense start-up Quantum Systems.
Wiegand caused resistance on the supervisory board
There are said to have been tensions on the supervisory board from the start. Wiegand asked CFO Arno Antlitz critical detailed questions in the audit committee, which visibly annoyed the manager from Wolfsburg. In addition, she opposed the re-election of supervisory board chairman Hans Dieter Pötsch. Wiegand argued that Pötsch has been in office for too long and is too often biased due to his simultaneous role as CEO of Porsche SE. She told Manager Magazin that she had decided not to run “after carefully considering the overall circumstances”.
Wiegand’s departure comes at a time of growing tensions at the Wolfsburg-based car maker. Most recently, an internal survey showed that board members and supervisory boards assessed the situation at the car manufacturer as endangering its existence. This was the result of research by Manager Magazin.
Resignation before crucial supervisory board meeting
There will also be a crucial Supervisory Board meeting on July 9th, in which the Management Board’s transformation and restructuring concept will be discussed and a decision may possibly be made. Without a court-appointed successor, one voice is missing on the capital side. The employee representatives would then have the majority.
Women’s quota on the capital side is no longer met
The women’s quota is also beginning to falter with Wiegand’s resignation. The group has committed itself to achieving the legally regulated women’s quota of 30 percent and has resolved to fulfill this independently on the employee and capital side. However, there are now only two women on the capital side.
Mara Marx is a volunteer at Human Resources.
