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Ex-VW CEO Herbert Diess Set to Become Supervisory Board Chairman for Chipmaker Infineon

In July, Herbert Diess’ departure as Volkswagen CEO was a big surprise. It was later speculated that he would accept one of the many offers from other EV makers, Tesla included. Nevertheless, reports indicate that Dies had found a seat on the supervisory board at semiconductor maker Infineon.
Ex-Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diess is set to become Infineon’s supervisory board chairman 6 photos
Photo: Herbert Diess via Twitter
VW CEO Herbert DiessVW CEO Herbert DiessVW CEO Herbert DiessVW CEO Herbert DiessHerbert Diess departure party
Following spats with Volkswagen’s powerful work council over his electrification strategy, Herbert Diess was forced to leave the company. This ended a meaningful stint at Volkswagen’s helm after the former CEO oversaw the group’s transition away from the damaging Dieselgate scandal and into one of the leading players in the EV market. Despite his achievements, Herbert Diess had made powerful enemies thanks to his blunt management style. His successor, Porsche’s Oliver Blume, was named because he plays by the rules, although his stance toward electrification is considered duller.

In the aftermath of his departure, many believed that Diess would be poached by another car company competing in the EV arena. Some even thought he would be a great addition to Tesla, although we don’t imagine him putting up with Elon Musk’s antics. Some even considered that he might stay at Volkswagen, albeit in a low-profile position, as ex-CEO Bernd Pischetsrieder did after he was ousted in 2006.

Of course, Herbert Diess’ contract certainly contains clauses prohibiting him from working for a Volkswagen competitor in the foreseeable future. This is a standard procedure, and since Volkswagen sees every other carmaker as a competitor, Diess could not have gone to another automaker.

Instead, the ex-Volkswagen CEO turned to his friends at Infineon for a job and, sure enough, got one. According to Automotive News, he would act as supervisory board chairman pending confirmation at the chipmaker’s annual meeting on February 16. If he gets the thumbs up (and we see no reason he wouldn’t), Diess will succeed Wolfgang Eder, who plans to resign at the meeting.

“Now is the right time to make changes to the supervisory board,” Eder, who has held the post since 2019, told Automotive News. “Given the highly challenging environment in which Infineon is active, I am pleased to welcome Dr. Diess as the ideal candidate to become my successor. He has excellent knowledge of the company and of the industry landscape.”

Herbert Diess has worked with the Infineon board before, being a member from 2015 to 2020. This made him perfect for the job, especially as the automotive industry is Infineon’s most important customer. The chipmaker is in the process of expanding its production facilities, including new investment in its $1.8 billion semiconductor plant in Austria, which began operations last year.
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About the author: Cristian Agatie
Cristian Agatie profile photo

After his childhood dream of becoming a "tractor operator" didn't pan out, Cristian turned to journalism, first in print and later moving to online media. His top interests are electric vehicles and new energy solutions.
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