Porsche AG’s New Boss: Dr. Michael Leiters, Guarding the 911 or Steering the Ship through Stormy Seas?
Porsche, that bastion of fur-coated sports car snobbery, has shuffled the executive deck and handed the keys to Dr. Michael Leiters as CEO of Porsche AG from 1 January 2026. The man who once ran McLaren Automotive and before that “merely” oversaw finance and engineering roles at Ferrari will now steer the 911, Taycan, Macan and countless accessory Porsche key-rings into a world increasingly allergic to internal combustion.
Coming in Hot: Why He’s Been Chosen
Let’s give credit where credit is due: Leiters isn’t a rookie. He’s got bona fides. He spent 13 years at Porsche before 2013, including work on the Macan and Cayenne lines. He joined McLaren as CEO in mid-2022, so clearly he’s got both the super-car street credit and boardroom credentials. Porsche’s supervisory board is banking on his “in-depth expertise” to navigate “new demands on the business model” - Dr Oliver Blume, outgoing Porsche CEO.
In plain English: the world’s gone electric, margins are slimming, competition is crushing, and Porsche needs someone who can juggle 911 heritage while also pretending EVs are just as fun, or at least profitable. Leiters’ seems to tick the box.
The Mess He’s Inheriting (And Why It’s Actually Kind of Fun)
Now for the juicy part. Because while Porsche has prestige thicker than a walnut shell, it’s facing an army of bullets:
The shift to electric vehicles hasn't “taken off” quite like some boardrooms hoped. Reuters and CarExpert suggest Porsche’s profit margins have shrunk, and internal combustion isn’t yet dead.
Porsche recently cancelled its three-row electric SUV flagship in favour of a petrol version. Yes, petrol. Not electric. (Plot twist!)
America and China (Porsche’s two biggest markets) are both undergoing structural changes in demand and regulation. According to outgoing CEO Oliver Blume: “Massive changes…have placed new demands on our business model.”- Porsche Newsroom
The brand must juggle: keep the 911, Cayman, Boxster addicts happy, convert EV buyers, maintain luxury margins, and not drown in the EV-pool where Tesla and Chinese flood the shallow end.
Leiters’ job? Take the brand that once said “no compromise” (and meant it with a manual gearbox) and turn it into “no compromise…except maybe your wallet.” He’s inheriting a company in transition, which means risk, but also opportunity.
Why I’m Quietly Excited
Because despite the mess, there’s elegance in the upheaval:
Porsche’s “full flexibility in drivetrain” strategy means: electric, petrol, maybe hydrogen. They’re not forcing everything into batteries yet. Smart.
The board selected someone with supercar street cred, not a bean-counter corporate drone. That implies it’s not just about spreadsheets, they care about the cars, the brand and very specifically the heritage that comes with a capital P..
This era could revitalise the “driver-car connection” that some say Porsche lost in the mid-2000s wave of SUVs and digital dashboards. Let’s also not forget that it was the SUV that saved Porsche way back when.
The timing is good: as the rest of the industry screams “V8 is dead,” Porsche’s next chapter might say: “We’ll decide when.” And that’s oddly comforting.
The Big Question: Can He Keep the Magic and Fix the Mess?
Here’s what will make or break his tenure:
Does the 911 still matter? If the heritage icon becomes irrelevant in 10 years, Porsche loses identity.
Does Porsche succeed in EVs without becoming a Tesla clone? Luxury, performance and soul > bland hatchback with a plug.
Does the financial model hold? If margins vanish in the EV race, volume may destroy value.
Does Porsche stay relevant globally? China and the US as a market dominate luxury performance. Miss those waves and you’re stranded chasing ex-pat dollars.
Final Thought
So, to Dr Leiters: welcome aboard. You’ve got the brand, you’ve got the resume, you’ve got the lap times. Now make the magic happen. I’ll be watching from behind my piping hot cup of tea, waiting for the release of the next gen 911 and hoping that Porsche will still be the sound of a sunrise on old Germany’s autobahn.