Volkswagen Names Rothenpieler As Head Of Quality Assurance

(RTTNews) - German automaker Volkswagen AG (VKW.L, VLKAF.PK, VOW.BE) said Monday it has appointed Hans-Joachim Rothenpieler as head of quality assurance, succeeding Frank Tuch. Volkswagen added that Tuch is leaving the company at his own request.

Rothenpieler's appointment, effective February 15, 2016, is part of chief executive Matthias Muller's efforts to shake up the company's senior management team following the emissions-cheating scandal. He will report to Muller in the new role.

Rothenpieler is a graduate mechanical engineer and joined the Volkswagen Group in 1986. He has been Board Member for Technical Development at the Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles brand since 2014.

Rothenpieler will be succeeded by Dr. Harald Ludanek as Board Member for Technical Development at the Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles brand. Ludanek, aged 57, is currently Member of the Scania Executive Board and Executive Vice President, Head of Research and Development.

Tuch, aged 48, has led the company's quality assurance since 2010 and was appointed by former chief executive Martin Winterkorn, who resigned in September 2015 after the breakout of the emissions-cheating scandal.

Previously, Tuch was responsible for quality assurance and technical management of various companies, including at the former DaimlerChrysler AG and Porsche. However, Tuch will support the company in an advisory capacity, Volkswagen said.

As part of his efforts to streamline the management board, Muller has almost halved the number of executives who report to him directly. This has enabled Muller and the leaner board to accelerate the internal decision-making process.

On Frankfurt's Xetra, Volkswagen shares are trading at 113.35 euros, down 5.50 euros or 4.63 percent on a volume of 76,681 shares.