According to Germany’s Bild tabloid, the next Volkswagen personnel to be shown the door could be three people integral to powertrain development during the time when vehicles were fitted with “defeat devices”.
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Ulrich Hackenberg, Audi Board Member for Technical Development; Wolfgang Hatz, Porsche Board of Management; and Dr. Heinz-Jakob Neußer, Head of Powertrain Development at the Volkswagen Group are rumored to be the next executives and managers to be fired, though a final decision won’t be made until Friday.
Hackenberg joined Audi in 1985 after working for the Automotive Institute for seven years. From 2002 until 2007, he was responsible for electronics in Audi vehicles, along with superstructure and electrics development. In 2007, Hackenberg was appointed Member of Volkswagen’s Brand Board for Development. He became a member of Audi’s Board Management, responsibility for Audi’s technical development as well as the technical development of all the Volkswagen Group’s brands in 2013.
