Audi's CEO, Markus Duesmann, has been dismissed due to declining sales in China and a sluggish rollout of electric vehicle (EV) products.

According to a report by Forbes, the upcoming replacement for Markus Duesmann, who was the last high-level appointment made by former Volkswagen Group Chairman Herbert Diess, is Gernot Doellner, the current Volkswagen Group strategy boss. Doellner is set to assume the position on September 1.

The decision to remove Duesmann was widely anticipated, given that he had joined the Volkswagen Group from BMW alongside Diess. As Diess had already departed and Duesmann lacked significant internal political backing, his departure was seen as inevitable.

During the Capital Markets Day, Volkswagen Group CEO Oliver Blume openly expressed criticism of Audi's performance, highlighting that Tesla had outsold the Ingolstadt brand in the first quarter of the year. However, Audi Supervisory Board Chairman Manfred Döss bid farewell to the former BMW board member with polite pleasantries, revealed Forbes’ report. 

“I would like to thank Markus Duesmann for all the important work he has done during his tenure at Audi. He has brought great foresight and vision to planning and driving forward key strategic decisions, including, first and foremost, the electrification strategy. Gernot Döllner is the right person to further strengthen the company’s product strategy and its position in key markets. Together with the entire Board of Management, he will add the next chapter to Audi’s successful strategy implementation,” Döss said. 

The future CEO of Audi has a background in mechanical engineering and began his journey with the Volkswagen Group in 1993 as a PhD candidate. Similar to Group CEO Blume, he has held significant managerial roles at Porsche, including leading the concept development for the Panamera.

“I’m honoured and excited to be taking on this new role. Audi is a fantastic company with a rich history. I look forward to shaping the company’s future together with the entire team at Audi,” he said.

This decision is expected to bring an end to the longstanding disputes between Porsche and Audi over platform and powertrain development for luxury electric vehicle (EV) and sports car platforms that have persisted for a decade.