Audi reshuffles management board amid emissions scandal

Volkswagen AG's (OTC:VLKAY) luxury car brand, Audi AG, said Monday it would reshuffle more than half its management board as the group continues to grapple with a diesel emissions scandal.

The German car maker said it would replace four of seven board members as of Sept. 1, but keep Rupert Stadler as chief executive officer until 2022, as previously announced.

Like its parent company Volkswagen, Audi has been shaken by the diesel emissions scandal that started in 2015 when Volkswagen admitted it had installed software in millions of vehicles that allowed them to dodge emissions testing. Some Audi models were also affected.

Audi's management board reshuffle comes less than a month after former Volkswagen compliance executive Oliver Schmidt pleaded guilty in the U.S. to helping equip diesel-powered vehicles to evade pollution requirements.

"Audi has recently passed through a difficult phase, but has all the prerequisites to be successful also in the mobility world of tomorrow," said Matthias Mueller, Volkswagen chief executive and head of Audi's supervisory board.

On Audi's board, Alexander Seitz succeeds Axel Strotbek as board member for finance, IT and integrity.

Bram Schot replaces Dietmar Voggenreiter as board member for marketing and sales, a position Mr. Voggenreiter had held since 2015.

Wendelin Goebel will be the new member for human resources and organization, succeeding Thomas Sigi, who had held the position since 2010.

Peter Koessler will take over production and logistics from Hubert Waltl, who had been in the position since 2014.