VW holt Marianne Heiß zurück in den Aufsichtsrat

One day prior to a crucial meeting of the Volkswagen Supervisory Board, the oversight committee found itself evenly balanced once again. Marianne Heiß returns to the Supervisory Board, the company announced. She was appointed effective immediately until the next general meeting to fill an empty seat representing shareholders. Heiß was also elected as the Chairwoman of the Audit Committee.

Although this does not guarantee a majority for the equity side, it restores the customary power dynamics. The Volkswagen Supervisory Board consists of 20 members. Ten seats are allocated to shareholders, including representatives from the state of Lower Saxony. The remaining ten members are elected by the workers. In case of a deadlock, Chief overseer Hans Dieter Pötsch can cast the deciding vote with his double share.

Marianne Heiß, an Austrian native, had previously served on the VW Supervisory Board from February 2018 to July 2025, following her own successor. Susanne Wiegand, a former CEO of the arms manufacturer Renk, had briefly withdrawn her candidacy for re-election prior to the VW Annual General Meeting in June. She had only served one year on the VW Supervisory Board.

Tensions over the cost-cutting plans could lead to a fierce showdown at the Supervisory Board meeting on Friday. The meeting will discuss the future of four German factories and the potential job cuts of up to 50,000 worldwide. The meeting could see a heated altercation between the representatives of the state of Lower Saxony and the workers, who oppose these plans.

Whether all parties can reach a compromise or the dispute over VW's future will escalate remains to be seen.