Reports: VW Plans Management Shakeup

CEO Martin Winterkorn intends to overhaul Volkswagen AG's management board, according to news reports citing anonymous sources. The changes could be announced as early as today after the company's supervisory board meets.

The moves are said to be another step toward achieving VW's goal of becoming the world's largest automaker by 2018. The company is working to merge its existing operations with the Porsche sports car and Ducati motorcycle brands.

VW also aims to merge its truck operations with those of truckmakers MAN AG and Scania AB, in which it owns controlling stakes. Media reports say Scania CEO Leif Ostling will step down after 18 years in the job to join VW's management board as head of the commercial vehicle unit. Ostling would replace Jochem Heizmann.

Scania is considered likely to tap Martin Lundstedt, its sales and marketing chief, as CEO.

Winterkorn also is expected to create a new VW management board post to oversee operations in China. It isn't clear whether Karl-Thomas Neumann, who currently heads that unit, would be appointed to the board.