Leadership and AI: "There has never been such a decline in the German economy": The end of management as a mass profession
All over the country, companies are dismantling historically grown structures. This increasingly affects well-paid executives. Experts warn: "The real earthquake is yet to come."
Several major German corporations, including Volkswagen, Deutsche Bahn, BMW, and Bayer, are cutting thousands of management positions to streamline their hierarchies and reduce costs. Volkswagen plans to eliminate over 5,000 leadership roles by the end of the decade, which could affect nearly a quarter of its 21,500 managers. Deutsche Bahn is cutting around 30% of its corporate management jobs, equivalent to over 1,000 employees, while Bayer has already reduced its workforce by 14,000 and its leadership positions by two-thirds since CEO Bill Anderson took office in 2023.
The trend is driven by a desire to adapt to changing market conditions and the increasing use of artificial intelligence, which is expected to significantly impact the role of managers in the future.
Written by urgent.news from Handelsblatt's report — not a translation of it. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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