Analysts See No Momentum in VW’s Leadership Plan

Last week Volkswagen AG ended months of uncertainty about who would become its top leaders. But some analysts complain that in the process VW missed an opportunity to inject fresh thinking into a company whose profits continue to lag its rivals, Reuters reports.

Critics question whether VW can make the big changes needed to bolster its bottom line after opting for management continuity instead of the more radical step of choosing outsiders to take charge.

The VW board plans to extend CEO Martin Winterkorn's contract through 2018 and make finance chief Hans Dieter Poetsch its chairman. Reuters says analysts are divided about whether Winterkorn has emerged with more or less power.