The shares have risen to their highest level in the last five weeks, as Volkswagen AG tosses around the idea of appointing its chief product strategist Matthias Mueller to run Porsche. According to sources from the inside, the transfer of Muller would only be part of a much bigger reshuffling in which the current Porsche CEO Michael Macht become the group’s production head. Expected to be completed next year is the merger between Volkswagen and Porsche. In the mean time the two companies are busy discussing their future model strategy.
In the medium term, Porsche will be expanding its offerings to hit its target of doubling deliveries to 150,000 vehicles. Aleksej Wunrau, an analyst at ING BHF-Bank AG in Frankfurt, considers this a “good move,” adding that Macht is perceived to be capable of running a cost-efficient strategy for VW’s luxury brands Audi, Porsche and Bentley.
But although Mueller is the no. 1 choice to succeed Macht as CEO of Porsche’s carmaking operations, a final decision on the changes has yet to be made. Last week, holding company Porsche SE improved its full-year forecast after sales beat analysts’ estimates with the success of the new Panamera sedan.
