Susanne Wiegand unexpectedly resigned from Volkswagen's supervisory board ahead of the annual meeting, citing concerns about corporate governance practices. The former Renk CEO felt excluded from key decisions and that her input was ignored by fellow board members. Her departure removes the only truly independent voice on a board dominated by the Porsche-Piëch dynasty, Qatar's sovereign wealth fund, and Lower Saxony state representatives.

The resignation intensifies scrutiny as investors question the board's independence during critical strategic decisions. Volkswagen faces mounting pressure from Chinese competition and US tariffs while navigating the $10bn sale of its diesel engine unit Everllence. A consortium backed by Porsche Automobil and Qatar Investment Authority is among the bidders, raising conflict-of-interest concerns that prompted the company to adopt a sealed-envelope voting process for the final decision.

Investors expressed alarm at the development. Tanja Bauer of Deka Investment called the exit a 'very negative signal,' while DWS's Hendrik Schmidt warned that unchecked family influence threatens long-term success. The board's structure, with representatives from major shareholders and worker groups, leaves little room for independent oversight of management decisions.