Hinrich Woebcken became Volkswagen's top U.S. executive while the automaker was deep in the throes of the costliest scandal in industry history and set about fixing the myriad issues plaguing its North American operations. Results didn't come quickly, but they did come.

First and foremost, Woebcken, 57, worked to restore the relationship between VW and its U.S. dealer body, convincing them that VW would not leave them hanging out to dry as they processed hundreds of thousands of diesel buybacks. He also guaranteed that dealers would benefit when fixed diesels were again approved for sale by federal environmental regulators.

At the 2016 National Automobile Dealers Association convention, Volkswagen's U.S. dealers were planning lawsuits against the factory and facing potentially huge losses. When they met almost a year later, Woebcken's words drew a standing ovation and sustained applause from the dealer body.

Woebcken's efforts — and his accountability — restored VW dealers' faith in the factory as the brand moved away from diesel and instead toward a product line filled with crossovers and electrified vehicles.