Volkswagon Case Study

Of the many companies representing German industry, Volkswagen AG (VW) has long been one of the most recognised, and iconic, brands of “Deutschland AG”. As an automotive conglomerate with a long, and, at times dubious, history, VW is one of the world’s largest auto producers, typically running neck and neck with Japanese rival Toyota for global market dominance.

As a publicly listed company, VW is widely held by institutional investors, even though its ownership structure—and voting control-- is dominated by ownership from the Germany’s Porsche/Piëch family, the German Federal State of Lower Saxony and the Qatari sovereign wealth fund. It is included in the German “blue chip” DAX 30 index, which ensures VW’s inclusion in passive investment strategies indices based on the DAX 30, as well as other global equity indices.

This book features an in-depth case study looking into how ESG performance can affect a company, using VW - a well known brand and centring on an examination of the infamous "diesel-gate" scandal and its repercussions.