Top Audi executive linked to VW’s emissions scandal has resigned

In a late Thursday announcement, beleaguered German automaker Volkswagen (VW) said that as a top manager of its Audi luxury car division has resigned after suspension over links to VW’s diesel-emission scandal.

The Audi executive who has left the company is Ulrich Hackenberg. The 65-year-old executive was a member of the Audi management board responsible for technical development.

Hackenberg was one of the eight Audi executives who were suspended – and the first among them to resign - after VW admitted in September that its diesel vehicles were equipped with so-called ‘defeat device’ software to cheat emissions standards in the US.

Along with working as the Audi management board member, Hackenberg also shouldered responsibilities for the VW group as a whole. He was of the automaker’s most high-flying executives involved in building the technology for VW vehicles.

Hackenberg’s decision to step down from his post at Audi was largely an upshot of the fact that Audi’s top labor representative recently asked the company to eliminate any ambiguity about the person in charge of the diesel-emissions scandal.

After Hackenberg’s decision to resign, Audi said in a statement that Hackenberg had contributed greatly to the company during his 30-year stint.