Volkswagen departs, replacing the position of Human Resources Head, held by Gunnar Kilian.
Gunnar Kilian, Volkswagen's long-serving personnel director and Chief Human Resources Officer, departed suddenly in June 2025, marking a significant shift within the automotive giant. The separation was primarily due to fundamental differences over key strategic issues, particularly concerning governance and personnel restructuring, between Kilian and both employee representatives and the employer side.
Kilian had been leading Volkswagen through a challenging restructuring phase, planning to cut nearly a quarter of its German workforce by 2030 through voluntary departures and early retirements, without forced redundancies. However, this process strained relations, especially since Kilian's name became associated with the controversial termination of the collective wage agreement family the previous year, which the works council labeled a historic breach of trust.
The Volkswagen Supervisory Board decided unanimously on Kilian's immediate departure just months before his contract was due to expire, reflecting a loss of trust from both employees and management. The works council, led by Barbara Cavallo, is initiating the search for a new personnel director who embodies transformation and renewal.
In the interim, Thomas Schäfer, a member of the company's board, has taken over the leadership of the personnel department. Schäfer will steer HR through this critical period of cost-cutting, agility improvements, and cultural change necessary for competing in the global EV market. The company is seeking a successor who can unite employee and employer interests, drive costly yet necessary restructuring, and support the company’s evolution into a leaner, more agile EV-era competitor.
The director of labor relations is traditionally a key role as a link between the board and employees, with a strong mediating function. Kilian, who had been with Volkswagen since 2000, held various positions in the company. His tenure included a commendable resolution of wage disputes last winter, which was praised by Lower Saxony's Minister President Olaf Lies (SPD). However, Lies expressed regret over the end of Kilian's term.
As Volkswagen confronts the broader challenges of transitioning to electric vehicles and implementing a bold restructuring to cut €4 billion annually, including €1.5 billion through workforce reductions, the further course of the company remains to be seen during VW's works vacation at its headquarters in Wolfsburg. The works council considers the interim solution with Schäfer and Meiswinkel as stable, providing a steady hand during this period of transition.
- The works council is seeking a new personnel director who can drive the necessary restructuring in finance and business, embodying transformation and renewal, particularly within the industry.
- Amidst the challenges of transitioning to electric vehicles and implementing cost-cutting measures in business and finance, Thomas Schäfer, interim leader of the personnel department, will steer HR through the industry's shift towards agility and cultural change.
