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Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG

Luxury Automotive ManufacturingFounded 1931
Reviewed by Swet Parvadiya
Company data updated: October 2026

Leadership History

Porsche: CEO History

10 leaders · 1944 to present

Who is the CEO of Porsche?

Michael Leiters is the CEO of Porsche, in the role since 2026. The first chief executive was Ferry Porsche, from 1944.

Current CEO
Michael Leiters (since 2026)
First CEO
Ferry Porsche (1944)
Leaders documented
11
Founded
1931
NameRoleFromToYears in role
Dr. Michael LeitersChairman of the Executive Board (CEO)2026Present< 1
Dr. Oliver BlumeChairman of the Executive Board (CEO)2015202510
Matthias MullerChairman of the Executive Board201020155
Michael MachtChief Executive Officer200920101
Wendelin WiedekingChairman of the Executive Board1993200916
Arno BohnChief Executive Officer199019922
Heinz BranitzkiChief Executive Officer198819902
Peter SchutzChief Executive Officer198119876
Ernst FuhrmannChief Executive Officer197219808
Ferry PorscheChief Executive Officer1944197228
Who was CEO of Porsche before Dr. Michael Leiters?
Dr. Oliver Blume was CEO of Porsche from 2015 to 2025, before Dr. Michael Leiters took over in 2026.

Company Overview

Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG designs and builds sports cars and luxury SUVs in Zuffenhausen and Leipzig, with R&D at Weissach. It delivered 279,449 vehicles in 2025 and employed 41,780 people at year-end. Volkswagen AG holds a controlling stake, Porsche SE (the Porsche-Piech family holding) owns 25% plus one share of the ordinary voting shares, and preferred shares trade on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under P911. The company is headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany.

Dr. Michael Leiters

Chairman of the Executive Board (CEO)

2026 – Present

0 years (current)

Key Decisions & Impact

Leiters worked at Porsche from 2000 to 2013, including on the Cayenne and Macan, then was Ferrari's chief technology officer and CEO of McLaren Automotive from 2022 to 2025. He became Porsche CEO on January 1, 2026, ending Oliver Blume's dual role at Porsche and Volkswagen Group.

Legacy

He took over after 2025 operating profit fell to ~$467 million (EUR413 million). In 2026 he has pursued a 'value over volume' plan, a 'Future Package' with about $2.37 billion (EUR2.1 billion) of site investment through 2035 and roughly 5,000 job reductions by the mid-2030s, and a return to combustion options such as a planned 2028 combustion Macan. First-half 2026 operating profit rose 34% to ~$1.53 billion (EUR1.35 billion).

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Dr. Oliver Blume

Chairman of the Executive Board (CEO)

2015 – 2025

10 years

Key Decisions & Impact

Blume led Porsche as CEO for a decade starting in 2015, through the Porsche AG IPO on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange in 2022 and the launch of the Taycan, Porsche's first dedicated electric vehicle, in 2019. From 2022 he simultaneously served as CEO of parent Volkswagen Group -- an unusual dual mandate running both the luxury sports-car subsidiary and its much larger parent.

Legacy

Blume's tenure covered record results in 2022-2023, the Taycan launch and the 2022 IPO. The EV-heavy plan set under him proved costly, and the 2025 reversal left his successor a turnaround. His dual role as CEO of both Porsche and Volkswagen Group from 2022 drew investor criticism.

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Matthias Muller

Chairman of the Executive Board

2010 – 2015

5 years

Key Decisions & Impact

Muller became chief executive of Porsche in 2010 and launched the Macan.

Legacy

Porsche sales passed 200,000 cars a year under him. He left in September 2015 to lead Volkswagen Group and Oliver Blume succeeded him.

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Michael Macht

Chief Executive Officer

2009 – 2010

1 year

Legacy

Michael Macht served as chief executive of Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG from 2009 to 2010.

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Wendelin Wiedeking

Chairman of the Executive Board

1993 – 2009

16 years

Key Decisions & Impact

Wiedeking took charge in 1993 when Porsche was close to bankruptcy, introduced lean production and launched the Boxster and Cayenne.

Legacy

He made Porsche highly profitable, then led a failed attempt to take over Volkswagen and left in July 2009.

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Arno Bohn

Chief Executive Officer

1990 – 1992

2 years

Legacy

Arno Bohn served as chief executive of Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG from 1990 to 1992.

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Heinz Branitzki

Chief Executive Officer

1988 – 1990

2 years

Legacy

Heinz Branitzki served as chief executive of Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG from 1988 to 1990.

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Peter Schutz

Chief Executive Officer

1981 – 1987

6 years

Legacy

Peter Schutz served as chief executive of Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG from 1981 to 1987.

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Ernst Fuhrmann

Chief Executive Officer

1972 – 1980

8 years

Legacy

Ernst Fuhrmann served as chief executive of Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG from 1972 to 1980.

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Ferry Porsche

Chief Executive Officer

1944 – 1972

28 years

Legacy

Ferry Porsche served as chief executive of Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG from 1944 to 1972.

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Other senior executives

These officers report to the chief executive and are not part of the CEO timeline above.

  • Dr. Jochen Breckner, Member of the Executive Board for Finance and IT (CFO) (2025 – present)Succeeded Lutz Meschke as finance chief and presented the H1 2026 results with Leiters.Source →

Challenges & Strategic Context

Porsche faces China weakness, U.S. tariff pressure, high electrification costs, luxury EV demand uncertainty, battery and software execution risk, brand dilution risk from SUVs, and pressure to restore margins after the 2025 profit reset.

Porsche CEO and Leadership FAQ

Who is the current CEO of Porsche?

Dr. Michael Leiters, CEO since January 1, 2026. He previously led McLaren Automotive and was Ferrari's chief technology officer.

What was Oliver Blume's record as Porsche CEO?

Oliver Blume was CEO of Porsche AG from October 2015 until the end of 2025 and has also been CEO of Volkswagen Group since September 2022. He oversaw the Taycan launch and the 2022 IPO, but the EV-heavy plan from his tenure was reversed in 2025.

Who was Wendelin Wiedeking and how did he save Porsche from bankruptcy in the 1990s?

Wendelin Wiedeking served as CEO of Porsche from 1993 to 2009. Wiedeking implemented Japanese lean manufacturing (Kaizen/Shinijutsu), launched the Boxster in 1996, and made the decision to build the Cayenne SUV in 2002, transforming Porsche from a struggling boutique near bankruptcy into the most profitable automaker in the world.

Who was Matthias Müller and what did he achieve as CEO from 2010 to 2015?

Matthias Müller served as CEO of Porsche from 2010 to 2015, overseeing the launch of the compact Macan SUV, the 918 Spyder plug-in hybrid hypercar, and returning Porsche to victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with the 919 Hybrid before being appointed CEO of Volkswagen Group.

Who was Ferry Porsche and what was his founding leadership legacy?

Ferdinand 'Ferry' Porsche, son of founder Ferdinand Porsche, created the modern Porsche sports car company. In 1948, he built the well-known Porsche 356/1, famously declaring: 'In the beginning, I looked around and could not find quite the car I dreamed of: a small, lightweight sports car that uses energy efficiently. So I decided to build it myself.'

How does Oliver Blume manage his dual role as CEO of both Porsche AG and Volkswagen Group?

Oliver Blume was appointed CEO of Porsche AG in 2015 and concurrently assumed the CEO role of parent company Volkswagen Group in September 2022. Blume balances brand-level autonomy and luxury margin discipline at Porsche while orchestrating group-wide platform consolidation, software overhaul, and battery scaling across VW Group.

How did Wendelin Wiedeking execute the dramatic 1990s turnaround of Porsche?

Taking over in 1993 when Porsche was near bankruptcy and losing millions, Wendelin Wiedeking hired former Toyota engineers to implement Japanese lean production techniques, streamlined the parts catalog by 30%, co-developed the Boxster alongside the 996-generation 911, and approved the Cayenne SUV, creating the most profitable automaker on earth.

What was the historic Porsche-Volkswagen takeover battle between 2005 and 2008?

Under Wendelin Wiedeking, Porsche quietly accumulated cash-settled call options on Volkswagen shares, attempting a leveraged takeover of the 15-times-larger VW. When the 2008 global credit crisis froze bank credit lines, Porsche faced a liquidity squeeze, culminating in Volkswagen reversing the transaction and acquiring Porsche AG in 2012.

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Content is for informational purposes only. Not financial advice. Data sourced from SEC filings, annual reports, and public records. See our full disclaimer and methodology.