Page 14 Christophorus 340 Christophorus 340 Page 15 News News The Company its independence, however, and the head- of Porsche SE, which will be headed by VW quarters of the sports-car manufacturer will CEO Dr. Martin Winterkorn. The executive remain in Zuffenhausen. board of Porsche SE is rounded out by Hans- Dieter Pötsch, CFO of Volkswagen AG, who A New Automobile Group Prior to this decision, CEO Dr. Wendelin will take over the finance portfolio. Wiedeking and CFO Holger P. Härter had The plans by Porsche and Volkswagen to create an integrated group announced their departure from the com- In addition, Porsche Automobil Holding SE are taking shape. The supervisory boards of both companies pany. This made several personnel moves now has a new shareholder. Qatar Holding have approved a Basic Agreement. Porsche AG is now headed necessary. The supervisory board appointed LLC (QH) has purchased ten percent of ordi- by Michael Macht, who had been in charge of Production Michael Macht (49), who has been with nary shares. The prime minister of the emi- and Logistics, while Dr. Martin Winterkorn, CEO of Volkswagen AG, the company for nineteen years, including rate, Sheikh Hamad ibn Jassim ibn Jabir now directs Porsche Automobil Holding SE. The Porsche brand eleven as the head of production, to be the Al-Thani, signed the purchase agreement in will maintain its independence. new CEO of Porsche AG. Macht is succeeded the Porsche Villa on Killesberg Hill outside as director of production and logistics by Stuttgart. Dr. Wolfgang Porsche and Hans another long-time Porsche veteran: Wolfgang Michel Piëch also signed the document on It had been a turbulent few weeks preceding the workers’ representations of both compa- Leimgruber (59), who has worked in Zuffen- behalf of the family shareholders. The sec- press release no. 24 ⁄ 09 from Porsche SE nies, and the Porsche SE ordinary sharehold- hausen for the past thirty years, most ond agreement, which provides for the take- on August 13, 2009. It read: “The supervi- ers, which describes the path to foundation recently as head of Car Body Manufacturing over by the emirate of a major share in the sory board of Porsche Automobil Holding SE of an integrated car group.” The break- and Paint. The new deputy CEO is Thomas cash-settled options relating to Volkswagen (Porsche SE) has approved today a Basic through had been achieved. Porsche SE and Edig (47), director of human resources at shares, was signed by Ahmad Al Sayed, CEO Agreement negotiated by the management Volkswagen AG are to merge into one group Porsche AG. Macht and Edig have also of Qatar Holding, along with Porsche CEO Wolfgang Porsche, Michael Macht, and Sheikh Hamad ibn Jassim ibn Jabir Al-Thani boards of Porsche SE and Volkswagen AG, by 2011. The Porsche brand will maintain become members of the executive board A Michael Macht and his deputy Thomas Edig, (from left): Happy faces following the signing of the agreement with Qatar who are both members of the Executive Board of Porsche SE. Common goals: Porsche CEO Michael Macht (left) and Volkswagen CEO Dr. Martin Winterkorn Supervisory Board Chairman Dr. Wolfgang Porsche welcomed the Emirate of Qatar as a new member of the Porsche shareholder family, declaring, “Today is an historic day for us. For the first time in Porsche company his- tory, an outside investor has acquired a hold- ing of ordinary shares, which up to now had been in the sole possession of the Porsche and Piëch family shareholders.” Both fami- lies, Dr. Porsche continued, embraced Qatar’s The New The New entry into the fold. “This not only improves Deputy Chairman Production Director Porsche’s liquidity situation, but is also an important step on the chosen path toward Thomas Edig Wolfgang Leimgruber an integrated automobile group, which we intend to forge together with Volkswagen,” Dr. Porsche explained. Thomas Edig (47) has served as director of The new director of production, Wolfgang human resources and labor relations at Por- Leimgruber, has been working for Porsche AG The goal is unequivocal, and formulated sche AG since May 2007, and now he has since 1978. The 59-year-old native of Laup- as such in the Basic Agreement: “a merger taken on the additional position of deputy heim began his professional career as a of Porsche SE into Volkswagen AG during chairman. Edig is thus the successor to planner in the production division. After hold- 2011, if at that time the legal requirements Holger P. Härter, the chief financial officer ing various management positions in the for a merger are met.” The next steps have who resigned together with Dr. Wendelin Wie- production department, he was named head already been determined. First, an inter- deking. Edig had previously been a member of Car Body Manufacturing and Paint in mediate holding company will be placed of the executive board of Alcatel in Paris and 1992. In this capacity he played a major role between Porsche Automobil Holding SE and most recently head of human resources and in the process of restructuring production. In Porsche AG. Volkswagen will acquire a 42- organization for the T-Com division of Deut- addition, Leimgruber served as the repre- percent share by means of a cash capital sche Telekom AG in Bonn. Edig, born in Stutt- sentative of top management on the supervi- increase within the framework of their mutual gart on October 8, 1961, has been named sory boards of both Porsche SE and Porsche cross-holding. Independently of this, Por- along with chairman Michael Macht to the AG. He gave up his position at Porsche SE in sche SE will maintain its 51-percent share executive board of Porsche Automobil Hold- January 2009, and he resigned from the of Volkswagen AG until the merger ultimately ing SE, where he will take over the adminis- supervisory board of Porsche AG following takes place. B trative portfolio. his appointment as director of production..