
• 成本飙升、汽车销量下滑以及中国市场出现的问题,正给奥利弗·布鲁姆带来巨大压力,迫使他放弃两个首席执行官职位中的一个。这位现年56岁的高管正竭力应对日益严峻的问题,而这些问题如今有可能拖累保时捷和大众汽车。
在两家汽车制造商的危机日益加剧之际,兼任保时捷首席执行官的奥利弗·布鲁姆正面临压力,需要在执掌这家豪华跑车制造商和规模大得多的母公司大众汽车之间做出选择。
德国主流商业日报《商报》(Handelsblatt)在周二发表的一篇社论中呼吁这位56岁的经理人——唯一一位同时管理两家德国蓝筹股公司的经理人——放弃其中一家公司的领导权。
《商报》认为,如果布鲁姆坚持兼任两职,可能会拖累德国曾经引以为豪的汽车业的两大标杆企业。
自保时捷股东于2023年6月首次敦促他通过选择其中一个职位来优化时间管理以来,布鲁姆的双重身份就屡屡遭到批评。
虽然大众汽车的汽车销量远高于保时捷,且持有保时捷75%的股份,但由于后者的两位数利润率,其市值一直远高于大众汽车。
该报写道:“每经历一次危机,布鲁姆面临的压力都会增大。如果业绩数据持续下滑,要求他终止兼任两职的呼声将会愈发高涨。布鲁姆不应让事态发展到那种地步。”
《商报》援引公司消息人士的言论报道称,由于多款产品的发布成本失控,大众集团的摇钱树保时捷去年被迫削减了约15亿欧元(合16亿美元)的开支,几乎是最初预期的三倍。
此前,保时捷在去年7月份罕见地发布了收入和利润预警。
随后,该公司前9个月的营业收入暴跌27%,并警告称可能会面临诸如关税之类的不可预见风险。
虽然目前尚未大幅提高进口关税,但对于几乎所有汽车都在欧盟生产的保时捷而言,这势必会成为今年的热门话题。
候任总统唐纳德·特朗普(Donald Trump)将于下周就职,他宣布计划设立一个负责关税事务的机构,并称其为“对外税务局”。
周一,保时捷公布,由于中国市场疲软,其年度汽车销量下降了3%。
《财富》杂志无法立即联系到这家汽车制造商置评。
奥利弗·布鲁姆是谁?
布鲁姆于2022年底执掌大众汽车,此前,大众集团董事会最终决定解雇时任首席执行官赫伯特·迪斯(Herbert Diess),原因是其与集团强大的工会组织多次发生冲突。
在这家汽车制造商中,工会组织历来扮演着举足轻重的角色,这被视为对该厂当年利用纳粹从被摧毁的工会那里窃取的资金建造起来的补偿。
当时,他被誉为在沃尔夫斯堡大型汽车厂阴影下长大的本地男孩,大众汽车的员工相信他清楚自己的忠诚所在,这与迪斯不同,迪斯是个局外人,其职业生涯的大部分时间都在德国南部慕尼黑的宝马(BMW,大众汽车的竞争对手)度过。
与此同时,布鲁姆在保时捷冷静且精明的管理风格赢得了集团控股家族的支持,该家族的元老曾设计了传奇车型大众甲壳虫的最初方案。
在同时担任两家公司的首席执行官后,布鲁姆很快便试图与迪斯对特斯拉(Tesla)首席执行官埃隆·马斯克(Elon Musk)的狂热追捧划清界限,这位奥地利人甚至曾邀请马斯克向集团的全球管理团队发表讲话。
受中国价格战影响,销量下滑
布鲁姆将一周的工作时间分别分配给大众和保时捷,这种做法起初似乎行得通,直到中国市场开始出现问题。
十多年来,中国一直是德国著名汽车制造商无可争议的利润增长引擎。
尽管新冠疫情肆虐,且芯片短缺整整一年严重扰乱了全球汽车生产,但保时捷2021年在中国的销量达到创纪录的9.5万辆。
然而,同年年底,中国最大的房地产开发商出现债务违约。
这标志着中国房地产泡沫开始破裂,自此给经济造成了严重影响。在此过程中,曾经利润丰厚的汽车市场掀起了一场全面的价格战,迫使各大品牌要么以削弱品牌影响力为代价参与其中,要么承受市场份额下降的痛苦。
仅在过去两年里,保时捷在中国的销量就暴跌了39%,最终在2024年跌破56900辆。(财富中文网)
译者:中慧言-王芳
• 成本飙升、汽车销量下滑以及中国市场出现的问题,正给奥利弗·布鲁姆带来巨大压力,迫使他放弃两个首席执行官职位中的一个。这位现年56岁的高管正竭力应对日益严峻的问题,而这些问题如今有可能拖累保时捷和大众汽车。
在两家汽车制造商的危机日益加剧之际,兼任保时捷首席执行官的奥利弗·布鲁姆正面临压力,需要在执掌这家豪华跑车制造商和规模大得多的母公司大众汽车之间做出选择。
德国主流商业日报《商报》(Handelsblatt)在周二发表的一篇社论中呼吁这位56岁的经理人——唯一一位同时管理两家德国蓝筹股公司的经理人——放弃其中一家公司的领导权。
《商报》认为,如果布鲁姆坚持兼任两职,可能会拖累德国曾经引以为豪的汽车业的两大标杆企业。
自保时捷股东于2023年6月首次敦促他通过选择其中一个职位来优化时间管理以来,布鲁姆的双重身份就屡屡遭到批评。
虽然大众汽车的汽车销量远高于保时捷,且持有保时捷75%的股份,但由于后者的两位数利润率,其市值一直远高于大众汽车。
该报写道:“每经历一次危机,布鲁姆面临的压力都会增大。如果业绩数据持续下滑,要求他终止兼任两职的呼声将会愈发高涨。布鲁姆不应让事态发展到那种地步。”
《商报》援引公司消息人士的言论报道称,由于多款产品的发布成本失控,大众集团的摇钱树保时捷去年被迫削减了约15亿欧元(合16亿美元)的开支,几乎是最初预期的三倍。
此前,保时捷在去年7月份罕见地发布了收入和利润预警。
随后,该公司前9个月的营业收入暴跌27%,并警告称可能会面临诸如关税之类的不可预见风险。
虽然目前尚未大幅提高进口关税,但对于几乎所有汽车都在欧盟生产的保时捷而言,这势必会成为今年的热门话题。
候任总统唐纳德·特朗普(Donald Trump)将于下周就职,他宣布计划设立一个负责关税事务的机构,并称其为“对外税务局”。
周一,保时捷公布,由于中国市场疲软,其年度汽车销量下降了3%。
《财富》杂志无法立即联系到这家汽车制造商置评。
奥利弗·布鲁姆是谁?
布鲁姆于2022年底执掌大众汽车,此前,大众集团董事会最终决定解雇时任首席执行官赫伯特·迪斯(Herbert Diess),原因是其与集团强大的工会组织多次发生冲突。
在这家汽车制造商中,工会组织历来扮演着举足轻重的角色,这被视为对该厂当年利用纳粹从被摧毁的工会那里窃取的资金建造起来的补偿。
当时,他被誉为在沃尔夫斯堡大型汽车厂阴影下长大的本地男孩,大众汽车的员工相信他清楚自己的忠诚所在,这与迪斯不同,迪斯是个局外人,其职业生涯的大部分时间都在德国南部慕尼黑的宝马(BMW,大众汽车的竞争对手)度过。
与此同时,布鲁姆在保时捷冷静且精明的管理风格赢得了集团控股家族的支持,该家族的元老曾设计了传奇车型大众甲壳虫的最初方案。
在同时担任两家公司的首席执行官后,布鲁姆很快便试图与迪斯对特斯拉(Tesla)首席执行官埃隆·马斯克(Elon Musk)的狂热追捧划清界限,这位奥地利人甚至曾邀请马斯克向集团的全球管理团队发表讲话。
受中国价格战影响,销量下滑
布鲁姆将一周的工作时间分别分配给大众和保时捷,这种做法起初似乎行得通,直到中国市场开始出现问题。
十多年来,中国一直是德国著名汽车制造商无可争议的利润增长引擎。
尽管新冠疫情肆虐,且芯片短缺整整一年严重扰乱了全球汽车生产,但保时捷2021年在中国的销量达到创纪录的9.5万辆。
然而,同年年底,中国最大的房地产开发商出现债务违约。
这标志着中国房地产泡沫开始破裂,自此给经济造成了严重影响。在此过程中,曾经利润丰厚的汽车市场掀起了一场全面的价格战,迫使各大品牌要么以削弱品牌影响力为代价参与其中,要么承受市场份额下降的痛苦。
仅在过去两年里,保时捷在中国的销量就暴跌了39%,最终在2024年跌破56900辆。(财富中文网)
译者:中慧言-王芳
• Soaring costs, declining vehicle sales, and problems in China are raising pressure on Oliver Blume to cede one of his two CEO jobs. The 56-year-old is struggling to contain growing problems that now risk dragging down Porsche and Volkswagen.
Oliver Blume, the part-time CEO of Porsche, is facing pressure to choose between running the luxury sports carmaker or its much larger parent, Volkswagen, amid a growing crisis at both carmakers.
In an editorial published on Tuesday, Germany’s leading business daily Handelsblatt called on the 56 year-old—the only manager to head up two German blue chips simultaneously—to cede the reins at either one or the other.
If he persists, Handelsblatt argues Blume risks dragging down both former paragons of the country’s once-vaunted auto industry.
The German national’s dual role has repeatedly been a source of criticism ever since Porsche shareholders first urged him in June 2023 to prioritize his time by choosing one or the other.
While Volkswagen is far larger in terms of vehicles sold and owns 75% of Porsche, the latter consistently has been worth much more in terms of market capitalization due to its double-digit profit margins.
“With every crisis, the pressure grows on Blume,” the paper wrote. “Should the figures continue to point downwards, the calls for him to end his dual roles will grow louder. Blume should not allow it to get to that point.”
Citing company sources, Handelsblatt reported that Porsche, Volkswagen Group’s cash cow, was forced to cut expenses by roughly €1.5 billion ($1.6 billion) last year, nearly three times the original amount anticipated, as multiple product launch costs were out of control.
This comes after Porsche issued a rare revenue and profit warning in July.
Operating income in the first nine months subsequently tumbled 27%, with the company cautioning about potential unforeseen risks such as tariffs.
While no major import duties have been hiked yet, this is bound to be a hot topic this year for Porsche, which effectively builds all its cars in the European Union.
President-elect Donald Trump, who takes office next week, announced plans to create an IRS for tariffs he is calling the External Revenue Service.
On Monday, Porsche reported a 3% drop in annual vehicle sales due to weakness in China.
Fortune could not immediately reach the carmaker for comment.
Who is Oliver Blume?
Blume took the reins at VW late in 2022, when the Volkswagen Group board ultimately decided to sack then-CEO Herbert Diess after repeated clashes with its powerful workers.
Organized labor traditionally plays an outsized role at the carmaker as restitution for being built using funds the Nazis stole from smashed trade unions.
Hailed at the time as a hometown boy who grew up in the shadow of Wolfsburg’s massive car factory, he could be trusted by VW workers to know where his loyalties lie, unlike Diess, an outsider who spent the bulk of his career at Munich rival BMW deep in the south of Germany.
Meanwhile, Blume’s cool, calculated management at Porsche won him the support of the group’s controlling family, whose patriarch developed the original design of the legendary VW Beetle.
Once in place as CEO at both companies, Blume quickly sought to distance himself from Diess’ obsession with Tesla CEO Elon Musk, whom the Austrian once even invited to address the group’s global management team.
China’s debilitating price war
Blume split his work week between Volkswagen and Porsche, an approach that initially appeared to work until problems began to emerge in China.
For over a decade, the country had been the undisputed engine of profit growth for Germany’s vaunted carmakers.
Porsche’s volumes there hit a record of 95,000 vehicles in 2021 despite the still-raging COVID pandemic and a full year of the chip shortage that wreaked havoc with global car production.
However, the country’s largest property developer defaulted on its debt at the end of that same year.
This signaled the start of the Chinese real estate bubble bursting, which has since blighted the economy. In the process, it unleashed an all-out price war in the once-lucrative car market, forcing brands to either participate at the cost of eroding their brand power or suffer a drop in market share.
Over the past two years alone, the number of Porsche vehicles sold to Chinese customers has plummeted 39%, ultimately falling below 56,900 cars in 2024.