Volkswagen Group CEO Oliver Blume told investors recently that he and his management team have a 10-point plan for the future.
On December 16, an extraordinary special Volkswagen Group meeting took place in which new CEO Oliver Blume spoke about the progress he has made in the 100 days since he took over as CEO. In, he said “Nothing and no one is more important than the brands. People buy brands. They are one of the most important criteria for our customers. That is why we will position our brands even more effectively and sharpen their profile even further.
Blume went on to say that he and his top managers have crafted a 10-point strategy for the company going forward. “This undertaking is rather like renovating a house. The foundation is solid. The structure is good, based on decades of successful work. Now we need to make the house shine in new splendor. We are tidying up the basement. Putting up new roof timbers. Moving a few walls. We are clearing out, adding new parts, dismantling old ones.
we plan to enter the attractive U.S. pickup and rugged SUV market. That is also of strategic significance for Volkswagen because we plan to diversify our business further in light of geopolitical developments.One of our most pressing issues in recent months was realigning our software activities. One thing is clear: setting up CARIAD, our software unit, was the right decision. Now, we are moving forward with the development of CARIAD.
Overall, this is a clear eyed and rational approach to the future of Volkswagen. Perhaps more than anything else it needs to get it CARIAD division sorted. Volkswagen software is sort of a joke in the industry at the moment. Everything in Blume’s 10-point plan seems to hinge on delivering on his promise to become an industry software leader instead of a laggard.