VW in the crisis: Labor director Gunnar Kilian is surprisingly resigning!

VW in the crisis: Labor director Gunnar Kilian is surprisingly resigning!

Wolfsburg, Deutschland - There is a surprising turn from Volkswagen: Gunnar Kilian, who has been driving the company's fortunes as a work director for years, announced his resignation on July 4. In his time at VW, Kilian was not only a central player in digital transformation, but also played an important role during the difficult Corona crisis. Daniela Cavallo, Chair of the Works Council, commented very emotionally about his farewell in an internal message. She described the separation as hard, but emphasized the positive balance of his seven -year activity.

How it goes on is still unclear. In the past few months, however, it has been shown that a future together was increasingly difficult to plan. The break in the VW tariff policy last year is considered a critical moment, which Cavallo classified as a historical breach of taboo. These developments made the decision that a continuation of the cooperation was no longer possible to have a significant impact on influencing them. Cavallo makes it clear that the co -determination at VW does not hang on the position of the work director.

personal details and future orientation

Thomas Schäfer will temporarily take over the department and VW HR board member Arne Meiswinkel will be included in the extended group management in order to assume additional responsibility for personnel issues. The search for a new work director has already started. The employee side, represented by the works council and IG Metall, is included in the selection process. We are looking for a leader that can master the challenges of change in the automotive industry.

The changes can also be classified against the background of the latest studies on the transformation in the automotive industry. An investigation by the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg has shown that Volkswagen's employees are quite willing to face the changes. According to the study, there is a high willingness to change; Many employees see the change as normality and are actively looking for further training opportunities.

Volkswagen Immobilien - A look into the future

At the same time there are news from the Volkswagen Immobilien area. This area celebrates its 70th anniversary this year. Originally founded as a VW housing construction, the company has changed into Volkswagen Immobilien GmbH and is now acting as a partner for the city of Wolfsburg and on an international real estate market. In recent years, around 500 new apartments have been created to meet the requirements of the employees. A large new construction project, the Steimker gardens with 240 rental apartments, is currently being realized, which should be completed by 2026.

Thanks to these investments in living space and facilities, Volkswagen Immobilien also shows a strong commitment to the region. In 2022, the company achieved an impressive annual turnover of around 166.5 million euros. Subsidiaries in Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia also show the international orientation and the will to expand.

The plans for anniversary campaigns that are supposed to celebrate both the achievements of Volkswagen Immobilien and to benefit the community are in full swing. Part of these festivities will be an anniversary bread in Wolfsburg that underlines the connection to the region.

Overall, changes will be shaped by the next time. Change is not only a challenge, but also an opportunity for everyone involved to reorient themselves and actively shape the future.