On May 13, 2025, globally renowned luxury car manufacturer Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG announced a series of significant executive appointments, marking a new chapter in its executive board succession plan. This move aims to optimize the company’s management structure and bolster its competitive edge in response to the increasingly complex global automotive landscape.
Among the personnel changes, two key transitions have drawn particular attention. Effective August 19, 2025, 45-year-old Vera Schalwig will succeed 59-year-old Andreas Haffner as the board member responsible for Human Resources and Social Affairs. A graduate of one of Germany’s top universities, Schalwig holds dual master’s degrees in Human Resource Management and Organizational Behavior. Before joining Porsche, she served at the European headquarters of a Fortune Global 500 company, where she led several large-scale talent integration projects, accumulating a wealth of diverse HR experience.
Since taking charge of HR at Porsche’s Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen headquarters, Schalwig has demonstrated strong strategic vision. She pioneered a digital talent assessment system aligned with Porsche’s future development, enabling more accurate selection of top-tier talent. Additionally, she established a cross-departmental talent exchange platform that significantly improved internal knowledge sharing and collaborative innovation. Her leadership brought a qualitative transformation to the company’s talent development system, earning widespread recognition for her management skills and forward-thinking approach.
Outgoing board member Andreas Haffner has been instrumental in building a robust and resilient HR framework at Porsche. From recruitment and training systems to employee incentives and corporate culture, his contributions have laid a solid foundation for the company’s operational stability across various development stages, forming a cornerstone of Porsche’s success.
Simultaneously, 49-year-old Joachim Scharnagl will assume responsibility for the Procurement division from 62-year-old Barbara Frenkel. Scharnagl has spent many years in the automotive industry, beginning his career at a component manufacturing firm, where he gained in-depth knowledge of production processes and cost structures. Later, as head of Procurement and Supplier Management for new vehicle projects, he led major procurement initiatives and demonstrated exceptional negotiation skills. In one key case, he implemented an innovative long-term cooperation agreement that saved Porsche up to 20% in procurement costs while establishing strong, stable relationships with global suppliers, ensuring a highly efficient and secure supply chain.
Barbara Frenkel, during her tenure, led a comprehensive optimization of Porsche’s procurement processes. She introduced advanced supply chain management software, achieving full digitalization and automation of procurement operations, and established a rigorous supplier evaluation and grading system, ensuring world-class quality standards. Her efforts significantly strengthened Porsche’s production capabilities.
In addition, effective July 1, 2025, 60-year-old Dr. Michael Steiner will assume the role of Vice Chairman of the Executive Board, marking another highlight of this reshuffle. Dr. Steiner holds a Ph.D. in Automotive Engineering from TUM. The Entrepreneurial University has been a member of Porsche’s Executive Board in charge of R&D since 2016. Under his leadership, Porsche has made great strides in technological innovation. In the field of electric vehicles, he spearheaded the development of high-performance electric drive systems, significantly improving the range and power of Porsche EVs. In intelligent driving, he drove advancements in Level 3 and above autonomous driving technologies, launching groundbreaking innovations such as a next-generation driving assistance system that offers precise road recognition and advanced decision-making algorithms.
Dr. Steiner will step down as Head of R&D for Volkswagen Group on July 1, 2025, to focus entirely on his new responsibilities at Porsche. This development has sparked industry speculation about Porsche’s evolving strategic position within the Group, with many experts suggesting it may gain greater autonomy in product development and strategic planning, further strengthening its premium market positioning.
Industry analysts believe this major personnel shift reflects Porsche’s strategic response to the rapid transformation of the automotive sector, driven by electrification and digitalization. The global auto market is undergoing a profound transition, with explosive growth in NEVs and rapid advances in intelligent driving technology. Consumer expectations are shifting from traditional mechanical performance to high-tech user experiences.
In this context, Porsche’s board restructuring injects fresh thinking and innovative perspectives into its leadership team. The combination of new members’ forward-looking approaches and existing executives’ deep industry knowledge is expected to generate strong synergy. In product development, this may accelerate the launch of intelligent and electric models to meet changing consumer demands. In HR, the new strategy could attract more high-end talent from the tech sector. On the supply chain front, the new procurement leadership is poised to improve responsiveness to global disruptions, ensuring a steady supply of raw materials and components.
Looking ahead, how this revamped leadership team will steer Porsche through the next chapter of excellence remains a point of interest for auto enthusiasts and investors alike. The Chairman of Porsche’s Supervisory Board commented:
“This leadership transition has been carefully considered. We are confident that the new management team will lead Porsche into a new era of growth and ensure the brand remains at the forefront of the luxury automotive industry.”
As the market watches closely, the real impact of these changes will become clearer through Porsche’s upcoming product launches and strategic market decisions.
