Volkswagen appointed Erika Rasch as its new head of human resources, effective 1 October 2026, and, that same evening, announced a restructuring programme that will cut roughly 50,000 positions worldwide.1

Who is Erika Rasch?

Rasch joins the Volkswagen Group board from the automotive supplier Robert Bosch, where she most recently oversaw the company’s human‑resources function.1 Her move marks a return to the German automotive ecosystem, but at a much higher level of responsibility. The appointment fills the vacancy left by Gunnar Kilian, who departed the board in July 2025 after a tenure that included the dismissal of tens of thousands of workers.1

Volkswagen at a glance

Volkswagen AG is headquartered in Wolfsburg, Germany, and operates in the automotive industry. The group was founded on 28 May 1937 and is currently led by chief executive Thomas Schäfer.2 While the exact headcount is not provided in the present packet, the company is one of Europe’s largest manufacturers and a frequent subject of regulatory and market reporting.

Restructuring programme – the "Transformationsprogramm"

The restructuring plan, described by the company as a "Transformationsprogramm", was approved by the supervisory board earlier in the year and includes the elimination of approximately 50,000 jobs over the coming years.3 The programme is presented as a necessary step to align the group’s cost base with its long‑term strategic objectives, but the packet does not disclose the specific plants, regions or functions that will be affected.

Chronology of the announcement

Key dates surrounding the HR appointment and restructuring announcement

DateEvent

1 Oct 2026Erika Rasch officially joins the Volkswagen Group executive board as head of human resources.

1 Oct 2026 (evening)Volkswagen publicly announces a restructuring programme that includes cutting roughly 50,000 positions worldwide.

Source: Handelsblatt – "Erika Rasch becomes VW HR chief"

The simultaneity of the two events – a senior leadership appointment and a major restructuring announcement – creates a clear link between the new HR chief’s mandate and the execution of the job‑cut programme.1

What the announcement means for stakeholders

For employees, the statement signals that the forthcoming reductions will be overseen directly by the newly appointed HR chief. The packet does not specify the timeline for individual layoffs, the geographic distribution of the cuts, or the criteria that will guide the selection of positions.3 Consequently, trade unions, works councils and other employee representatives will need to await further detail from Volkswagen to assess the impact on their constituencies.

From a compliance perspective, the announcement obliges internal legal and HR teams to align the implementation with German labour law, EU directives on collective redundancies and any applicable collective bargaining agreements. The exact procedural steps – such as consultation periods, social plans or severance arrangements – have not been disclosed.

Open questions

When will the first wave of redundancies be executed?

Which business units, sites or regions will bear the bulk of the cuts?

How will the restructuring intersect with Volkswagen’s ongoing investment programmes, if any?

What metrics will the supervisory board use to monitor progress against the 50,000‑job target?

These points remain unanswered in the current source material, and the company has not provided further comment as of the publication date.

Implications for the broader automotive sector

While the packet does not contain comparative data on job‑cut programmes at peer companies, the scale of 50,000 positions – roughly equivalent to the workforce of a midsize European plant – underscores the magnitude of Volkswagen’s restructuring effort. Analysts will likely watch how the appointment of a new HR chief influences the speed and scope of the cuts, especially given the vacancy that existed since 2025.

In summary, the dual announcement on 1 October 2026 ties a high‑profile leadership change directly to a major cost‑reduction initiative. Stakeholders now await further details on implementation, timing and the specific units that will be affected.