Obermo, Chairman of the Executive Board of Porsche AG, appealed to the public to work together to overcome the coronavirus crisis. In a recent interview, he explained in detail the various efforts made at the company level in response to the epidemic.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Porsche is actively fulfilling its corporate social responsibility. The company will donate 5 million euros to support people in need affected by the epidemic, in addition to 200,000 euros for food donations. Porsche is also considering making medical supplies, Obermo said.
Q: Mr Obermo, are you currently in good health?
Obermo: Yes, I’m fine at the moment.
Q: Are you still working in the office? Or have you returned to work remotely from home?
Obermo: I’m still working in the office. I think it’s still important, as a CEO, that I be present at the office so that people can find me when they need me. Of course, most meetings and deliberations are conducted by video and teleconferencing. At the same time, we have also implemented many mandatory safety and epidemic prevention measures at Porsche.
Q: After the outbreak, will you have more conference calls?
Obermo: During this epidemic, we are more aware than ever of the convenience brought by these technical means to our communication, and we also use these means to a greater extent for work communication. In many cases, using Skype calls is more convenient than driving. Running around for meetings is more efficient, but to be honest, I also look forward to seeing my colleagues face to face again.
Q: Porsche is currently suspending production. Can production be resumed smoothly after a two-week shutdown?
Obermo: We are assessing the development of the situation and the most important thing for us is that the supply chain can be rebuilt as soon as possible. From a supply chain perspective, we are more dependent on our European neighbors than China. In this regard, I hope that our society will manage to contain the spread of the new crown virus, and then we will decide when we can restart production according to the situation of the risk level of the new crown virus in Europe.
Q: How much has the crisis affected Porsche? Some economists expect the biggest recession since World War II.
Obermo: Experts have given various scenarios. Among them, the assumption of a “V-shaped” trend means that after a sharp drop in economic activity, there will be a rebound, and the sales level after the epidemic will be higher than before the epidemic. I hope we will face this “V-shaped” trend. It is also important that the government take measures to promote economic development during the epidemic, such as expanding domestic demand, so that we can emerge from the economic recession as soon as possible. Our aim is to respond systematically and responsibly to this crisis and see it as an opportunity. It is important to have an optimistic attitude, look forward and get back to full speed ahead as quickly as possible after the pandemic.
Q: For now, our economy hasn’t bottomed out yet. As far as the state government is concerned, their demand for the procurement of medical equipment is very large, and they have already begun to seek help from the business community. Can Porsche help?
Obermo: The state of Baden-Württemberg has set up a crisis response task force. I have responded by writing to Premier Winfried Kretschmann, offering our support to the state government task force. Consultants from Porsche Consulting can help, as can information specialists from our subsidiary MHP. For example, we can help structure and coordinate the process to see what kind of material support is needed where and which companies might be able to help. Of course, all of our services are free.
Q: Can you also help with sourcing materials?
Obermo: We are currently working with the state government to clarify what supplies are needed, including goggles and respirators. Highly specialized medical supplies must strictly comply with legal requirements and certification. In this respect, the masters must be medical technologists who can entrust orders to the automotive industry. Our 3D printers are always on call. As a first step where we can, we have passed on our stockpile of gowns to the State Government. In addition, together with the Volkswagen Group, we are procuring more equipment on a large scale, especially from China. We also have to make sure we look beyond the medical field and see where our help is needed.
Q: What does this last point refer to specifically?
Obermo: What we’ve seen in this pandemic is that many food banks (generally, charitable organizations that provide temporary assistance to families facing food shortages due to financial hardship) are receiving hardly any food donations. That’s why we’re doubling our donation to them so people can keep getting food.
Q: What do you mean by increasing donations?
Obermo: This year, we will provide 200,000 euros in aid to local food banks. In addition, we have provided vehicles and drivers to individual charities to solve the bottlenecks they encountered when delivering relief supplies or personnel. In addition, Porsche AG’s donation has also been increased by 5 million euros, which will be used to support local organizations and people in need due to the new crown virus epidemic. Our employees also volunteer to help charitable organizations in our area.
Q: This can only be voluntary by the individual employee, right?
Obermo: Naturally. I get a lot of emails and questions from colleagues who want to get involved. We have now communicated this through our internal media and published a list of organizations in need of help on our Baden-Württemberg and Saxony websites where our employees can get involved. For example, we have many trained paramedics on staff. I also want to remind readers that all people can participate in the best way according to their talents to help everyone overcome this epidemic.
Q: The new crown virus epidemic has also brought many challenges to Porsche. How did Porsche manage to set up such an assistance program?
Obermo: Be enthusiastic. People always come first, and even more so in this crisis, everything else is secondary. Our crisis management team meets almost daily to discuss the assistance we provide on the one hand and Porsche itself on the other. In every crisis lies opportunity, and I’ve seen our society come together and try to help each other. Everyone is reflecting on the nature of life and what is really important in life. We can learn from our post-crisis experiences and use them to shape the way we live together to the benefit of everyone.
