Former Ford Germany chief to possibly head VDA auto lobby

The former chief of Ford-Werke GmbH, Bernhard Mattes, is the preferred choice to head Germany’s VDA auto industry lobby when the existing chief’s contract ends next year, a newspaper reported.

Mattes, present president of AmCham Germany, is regarded highly as he is deemed as independent of the big three German carmakers – Volkswagen, BMW, and Daimler, the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung reported.

VDA’s current president Matthias Wissmann, 68, has stated he would quit the association when his contract ends in early summer 2018, a spokesman verified. He wouldn’t talk about a possible successor.