FRANKFURT -- Volkswagen Group has appointed former Daimler executive Kurt Michels as its new chief compliance officer.
Michels will report to Hiltrud Werner, VW's head of integrity and legal affairs. Werner took the post in January after the departure of Christine Hohmann-Dennhardt, a former Daimler executive
Hohmann-Dennhardt quit VW after just over a year in the job after reportedly being sidelined over talks with U.S. authorities to resolve the company's diesel emissions-cheating scandal.
Michels previously worked as chief compliance officer at Daimler's trucks, vans and buses division. He will start at VW on April 1, the company said in a statement.
Michels will oversee compliance management staff at all VW Group brands, as well as its financial and retail units.
In its 2015 annual report, VW said the emissions scandal uncovered that year "runs contrary to all of the values that Volkswagen stands for." Staff regularly perform investigative activities, systematically monitor compliance and perform random checks to ensure staff are following compliance rules, the report said.
Michels, 46, will succeed Frank Fabian, 50, who will become head of Wolfsburg AG's management board. Wolfsburg AG promotes the German city of Wolfsburg, where VW is based.
After studying law, Michels started his career with Daimler as an in-house attorney for purchasing and sales law in 1998. From 2006 onwards he headed the product safety and regulatory department as associate general counsel before being appointed chief compliance officer for trucks and vans in 2011. He added the same role for the buses unit in 2013.
