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A strategic return to the wheel: Leiters named CEO of Porsche AG
German car-maker Porsche has announced that Michael Leiters, the former boss of McLaren Automotive, will assume the role of Chief Executive Officer of Porsche on 1 January 2026, succeeding Oliver Blume.
Leiters will take over at a critical moment for Porsche as it faces multiple headwinds: a declining Chinese market, tariffs on U.S. exports, and the complex pivot to electrification.
1. Leiters’ résumé: engineering roots and senior leadership
• Michael Leiters has a strong technical and engineering background, holding a doctorate in engineering and a mechanical engineering diploma from RWTH Aachen University.
• He spent 13 years at Porsche (2000-2013) in roles including project manager for the Cayenne hybrid, product line director for the Macan/Cayenne ranges and executive assistant to the CEO.
• From 2014-2019, he served as Chief Technology Officer at Ferrari N.V., helping develop its first hybrid production models (SF90 Stradale, 296 GTB).
• In July 2022, he took over as CEO of McLaren Automotive, steering the firm through launches including the 750S before stepping down in April 2025 after a merger with EV start-up Forseven.
This mix of technical depth + senior leadership across premium automakers gives Leiters a rare profile: someone who knows how to build both cars and organizations.
2. Why Porsche is bringing him in
Several developments made this leadership transition both necessary and strategic:
• Oliver Blume had held the dual role of CEO of Porsche and CEO of the Volkswagen Group for the past three years. That dual burden drew criticism from investors and unions who argued the Porsche role deserved full-time focus.
• Porsche’s performance has flagged: weakening demand in China, U.S. tariffs, and the cost of its EV push have squeezed margins. The company announced ~3,900 job cuts earlier this year.
• The supervisory board judged that a new single-minded CEO was needed to lead Porsche through the next phase. Leiters’ background at Porsche, Ferrari and McLaren puts him in a strong position to understand both brand heritage and future challenges.
In short: Porsche is seeking a reset. Leiters offers both continuity (he knows Porsche well) and new leadership.
3. Challenges ahead for Leiters
When he takes over in January 2026, Leiters will step into a landscape with big questions:
• Electrification strategy: Porsche’s EV ambitions have come under pressure. The company recently shifted emphasis back to hybrids and combustion in some markets.
• China & global demand: China is a key battleground for luxury car makers. Slowing demand there, plus U.S. trade/tariff pressure, make the global market less predictable.
• Margins and cost control: Premium automakers are feeling margin pressure from rising raw material and development costs, especially EVs. Porsche will need to defend its premium positioning while managing costs.
• Brand identity: Porsche has a deeply-rooted sports car legacy. As model lines expand (SUVs, crossovers, electrified variants), maintaining the balance between volume growth and brand exclusivity will be tricky.
Leiters’ experience with SUVs (Cayenne/Macan) and hybrids at Porsche, as well as his time at Ferrari and McLaren, give him the skill-set — but execution will be critical.
4. What this means for Porsche (and Volkswagen)
• Blume will continue as CEO of Volkswagen Group, relinquishing his Porsche role to focus solely on the broader group.
• For Porsche: Having a dedicated CEO means sharper strategic focus at the brand. It signals to investors and the market that Porsche is addressing its internal governance and strategic drift.
• For Volkswagen Group: The separation may help bring clearer accountability and stronger brand autonomy at Porsche, which could improve responsiveness to the luxury/performance car market.
• For the luxury/automotive sector: The move highlights the trend of recruiting leaders who are both technically grounded and commercially savvy — engineers who can lead businesses, not just build cars.
5. Final thoughts
Michael Leiters’ appointment as CEO of Porsche is a strong signal. It says: “We’re serious about the next phase”. He brings a unique mix of legacy knowledge (Porsche roots) and fresh leadership (McLaren, Ferrari) at a time when Porsche’s future is far from guaranteed.
However — the road ahead is steep. The luxury-performance sector is under pressure: electrification, changing consumer behaviour, global market shifts. Whether Leiters can navigate Porsche through this will depend as much on culture, execution and strategy as on his pedigree.
If I were advising accordingly: keep an eye on his first 100 days — how quickly he defines a clear vision for Porsche’s electrification roadmap, how he restructures model lines, how he communicates with investors and employees. The transition is symbolic — but the real test will be what he delivers by 2028.
Attache is a news article regarding the boss of McLaren becoming boss of Porsche
Article written and configured by Christopher Stanley
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