Michael Horn ( 1961)
is a businessman who was the chief executive officer and president of
Volkswagen Group of America
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (sometimes referred to as Volkswagen of America, abbreviated to VWoA), is the North American operational headquarters, and subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group of automobile companies of Germany. VWoA is responsi ...
.
Education
Horn is a business administration graduate.
He received his bachelor's degree in Business Administration from the
European University
EU Business School is a private business school with campuses in Geneva and Montreux (Switzerland), Barcelona (Spain), and Munich (Germany). It is a member of OMNES Education Group since 2022.
History
EU Business School was established in ...
in Antwerp, Belgium and his Master of Business Administration degree from the
University of San Francisco
The University of San Francisco (USF) is a private Jesuit university in San Francisco, California. The university's main campus is located on a setting between the Golden Gate Bridge and Golden Gate Park. The main campus is nicknamed "The Hil ...
.
Career
Horn spent 23 years at Volkswagen prior to being named chief executive of Volkswagen Group of America. From 2009 through 2013 he served as the head of Volkswagen Global After Sales which covers parts and service at dealerships. Initially, in 1990, he worked on group and brand strategy and, in 1997, he became responsible for North-Western European sales. In 2004, he became head of Sales for Europe.
On January 1, 2014, he became CEO and President of Volkswagen Group of America. He left Volkswagen on 9 March 2016.
Volkswagen diesel emissions violations
In September 2015, Volkswagen AG's diesel vehicles failed a
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is an independent executive agency of the United States federal government tasked with environmental protection matters. President Richard Nixon proposed the establishment of EPA on July 9, 1970; it be ...
(EPA) investigation for nitrogen oxides (
NOx
In atmospheric chemistry, is shorthand for nitric oxide () and nitrogen dioxide (), the nitrogen oxides that are most relevant for air pollution.
These gases contribute to the formation of smog and acid rain, as well as affecting tropos ...
) emissions above the permissible limits. The emissions violations include cars produced by Volkswagen's American division, where Horn is currently CEO. Horn has admitted his company "screwed up" by using the vehicle's software to reduce emissions when it detects an emission testing, but allowing the diesel engines to produce pollutants above the legal limit under normal operating conditions.
On 8 October 2015, Volkswagen US CEO Michael Horn said in testimony before the
U.S. Congress
The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is Bicameralism, bicameral, composed of a lower body, the United States House of Representatives, House of Representatives, and an upper body, ...
that it could take years to repair all the cars, especially the older models, due to the complex hardware and software changes that will be required. He also said that the fixes will likely preserve fuel economy ratings but, "there might be a slight impact on performance".
/ref> An analyst viewed Horn's performance at the hearing as candid and complete.
References
Volkswagen Group people
Year of birth missing (living people)
Living people
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