There’s no power quite like a controlling stake in the business. But with that power, comes big decisions.
Today, in the age of huge business and massive parent companies, the number of family-run car makers is not what it was.
Yet, some big power remains – and there’s no power quite like a controlling stake in the business.
This Power List 100, sponsored by Keyloop, category is for those who by birth – or other means – have a big say in their company’s direction, even if they leave the day-to-day running to the CEO.
When the demands of the money markets push companies into making decisions better suited for short-term gain, these are the people with the bigger picture who look to create a legacy.
Power List 100 2023 – Grandee stakeholders
Stefan Quandt, member of the Supervisory Board of BMW AG, largest shareholder
As billionaire heir to the BMW brand, Stefan Quandt has a lot of pull within the German company. Sitting alongside figures like Norbert Reithofer on the brand’s Supervisory Board, he owns about a quarter of the marque, with his sister Susanne Klatten with the same amount to her name. He is the son of Herbert Quandt, the man who almost merged BMW and Daimler-Benz together in the 1950s, but was dissuaded by trade union opposition
John Elkann, Stellantis Chairman
As the great-grandson of Fiat founder Giovanni Agnelli, it was only natural that he would follow in his footsteps. Elkann is a big name in the automotive world, having been instrumental in the successful merger of FCA and PSA to form the giant that is Stellantis – a move that has, among other things, kept the Fiat name alive. Now thriving, Stellantis will offer more than 75 EVs by 2030.
Akio Toyoda, Chairman of the board, Toyota
The long-serving president of Toyota, Akio Toyoda is another to follow in his family’s footsteps. Heading up the brand his grandfather founded, the world’s second largest carmaker (pipped by VW last year) has thrived under Akio. Although a leader in hybrids, the brand has moved more cautiously in bringing in electric vehicles, releasing just the bZ4X, mindful of the huge disruption to Japanese suppliers that Toyota supports the world over.
Hans Dieter Pötsch, Chairman, Supervisory Board of Volkswagen AG
As chairman of both the supervisory board of Volkswagen AG and executive board of Porsche SE, Hans Dieter Pötsch is a key figure in the group and indeed was seen as brokering peace between the unions and former CEO Herbert Diess in 2021. He was appointed in 2015 after the emissions scandal.
Jean-Dominique Senard, Chairman of the board of directors, Groupe Renault
Parachuted in as Renault chairman in 2019 by the French state, its largest shareholder, the veteran industrialist was given a brief to save the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance – something he achieved against all odds following the dramatic ousting of Carlos Ghosn. This alliance hit some bumps over the past two years, but with a new set of terms agreed this year, it is set to again blossom.
Wolfgang Porsche, Chairman of Porsche AG and Porsche Automobil Holding SE
Yet another to carry the family mantle as the grandson of Ferdinand Porsche, Wolfgang Porsche holds enormous sway over the VW Group as chairman of its holding company, Porsche SE, as well as Porsche itself, the group’s most profitable entity. That profit comes from the firm’s 309,884 sales last year, something it will look to surpass in 2023 having already posted a 15 percent gain in H1 deliveries.
Norbert Reithofer, chairman of the supervisory board, BMW
When he headed up BMW from 2006 to 2015, Norbert Reithofer oversaw one of the most profitable periods in the German firm’s history. Now, as chairman of the supervisory board, he continues to hold enormous sway. He was re-elected in 2020 with the promise to reform the board following accusations that only a few members, including himself, had any oversight influence.
William Clay Ford Jr, executive chair
Automotive icon Henry Ford’s great-grandson Bill has been at the helm of the American giants since 1999. Although Ford’s main focus will be on the USA – with 4.2m cars sold last year compared to 500,000 in Europe – it’s over here where his eyes will be fixed. That’s because the brand’s first EV, the heavily marketed Explorer, will arrive next year as a Europe-honed crossover that aims to give the brand a bigger footing in a market it once dominated, and one that, given the Fiesta’s culling, it has been seen to neglect.
Ratan Tata, Tata Group Chairman Emeritus
A name many here will now have heard of, given Tata’s public approval to build a £4bn gigafactory in Somerset. But, it’s been a long time in the making. Tata Motors acquired Jaguar Land Rover in 2008, and by 2015 JLR’s sales had doubled, 20,000 new employees had joined and more than £13 billion had been invested in new products. Ratan Tata was chairman at the time but refused to take credit. “It is the people at JLR who have turned the company around,” he said.
Anand Mahindra, chairman, Mahindra Group
As the chairman of a multibillion-pound global industrial giant and with a sizeable following on Twitter, Anand Mahindra is Mumbai’s answer to Elon Musk. The company’s automotive division is among India’s largest, and Mahindra himself is regularly cited as one of the country’s most influential and transformative businessmen. The brand will now grow out of its home country with a production version of the Thar.e concept, a radical EV 4×4 that is tipped for the UK.
How are the 100 names in Autocar’s Power List chosen?
The Power List ranks is made up of the world’s 100 most influential automotive heads, based on the following criteria: global reach and influence, spending power, share of voice, technological influence, future growth potential and market capitalisation.
The top 10 are ranked and the remaining 90 names on the list are grouped into categories, including executives from more traditional car makers to the rising powerhouses from China and the latest technology and mobility companies.
These names were chosen by the editors of Autocar Business, the B2B product from the publisher of Autocar, designed to bring industry readers even closer to the inner workings and key players of the global automotive industry.
The full list will be available to download on 18 October.
