CORNELL UNIVERSITY MEDIA RELATIONS OFFICE
April 10, 2018

Long-overdue VW shakeup is first step to tune up

Newswise — Earlier today, German automaker Volkswagen said it was considering replacing its upper management, including CEO Matthias Muller who has held the reins of the corporation despite a long-drawn emission scandal. Arthur Wheaton, professor of labor at Cornell University and an expert on the automotive sector, says VW’s announcement shows the firm wants to change tune, though the move alone will not satisfy anyone.

Bio: https://www.ilr.cornell.edu/people/arthur-wheaton

Wheaton says:

“Volkswagen has been under intense scrutiny since the diesel emissions scandal. There were at least five people criminally indicted over the fraud and VW was fined over $20 billion for the defeat devices. A shakeup in leadership is long overdue. VW, Audi, Porsche and other brands they own were implicated in the scandal.

“Change in executive ranks would be a good step in changing the arrogance displayed by the corporation.

“I don’t think the change in itself will satisfy anyone but it is a first step.”

 

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