In a mandatory statement, German sports car manufacturer Porsche announced that it is planning talks with Chief Financial Officer Lutz Meschke and Chief Sales Officer Detlev von Platen to terminate their position on the Executive Board early. A sign of desperate times, desperate measures?
The statement issued by Porsche is very short and reads: “The Supervisory Board of Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche Aktiengesellschaft (“Porsche”) authorized the Chairman of the Supervisory Board today to enter into discussions with Mr. Lutz Meschke, Deputy Chairman of the Executive Board and Executive Board member for Finance and IT, and Mr. Detlev von Platen, Executive Board member for Sales and Marketing, about an amicable early termination of Mr. Meschke’s and Mr. von Platen’s appointment as members of the Executive Board of Porsche.”
Not a sure thing?
In other words, chairman Wolfgang Porsche is tasked with finding an agreement with von Platen and Meschke to have them leave the company before the end of their mandate. The statement is titled “Possible changes in the Executive Board,” which means the reshuffle is not a sure thing, but the intent is clear.

Poor results in China and slow electrification
Why is Porsche looking to shake things up? The company is going through tough times, and two big issues are hampering its sales success: a shrinking interest in China and a slower-than-expected transition toward electrification.
The sales slump in China has greatly impacted Porsche’s overall performance. A 28 percent drop year-on-year in what was once the brand’s biggest market means over 22,000 fewer vehicles were sold in China, significantly contributing to a 3 percent drop in Porsche’s global sales figures, which reached 310,718 units in 2024.
The company’s stock has also dropped by over 19 percent in the last year, with another slump this Monday after announcing the planned reshuffle of the Board.
Lots of new models, but too many EVs?
2024 was seen as a “transition year” for Porsche, with the launch of the facelifted Taycan, the new Macan EV, the facelifted 911, and the 718 running on its last legs before the launch of an electric successor.
However, the outlook for 2025 is not much better. The electric models did not sell as well as expected, so Porsche followed many other manufacturers in adjusting its electrification goals and extending the life of the combustion-powered Cayenne.
The question remains whether the new, electric 718 Boxster and Cayman sports cars will charm the public, with the current generation’s six-cylinder versions still going relatively strong.

Keeping faith in Blume
And why does this mean that von Platen and Meschke have to go? Von Platen has been chief of sales since 2015, so his role in China’s poor results is likely under question. Meschke, meanwhile, was seen as the right-hand man and logical successor of CEO Oliver Blume, who also leads Volkswagen.
With this announcement, it seems that Porsche’s Executive Board is taking the side of its current captain to sail the company through the storm, unlike Stellantis, which chose to let go of its CEO Carlos Tavares, who was responsible for forming the supergroup between Fiat-Chrysler and Peugeot-Citroën.
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