Power List 100 2023 – Grandee stakeholders

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 category in the Power List 100, sponsored by Keyloop, 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 John Elkann, chairman, Stellantis 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. Stefan Quandt, deputy chairman of the supervisory board, BMW AG; largest shareholder As billionaire heir to the BMW brand, Stefan Quandt has a lot of pull within the firm. Sitting alongside figures like Norbert Reithofer on the supervisory board, he owns about a quarter of the marque. He is the son of Herbert Quandt, who almost merged BMW and Daimler-Benz in the 1950s but was dissuaded by union opposition. 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 car maker (pipped by Volkswagen last year) has thrived under him. Although a leader in hybrids, the brand has moved more cautiously in bringing in EVs so far, releasing just the bZ4X. 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 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, Renault Group 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 – which he did against all odds, following the ousting of Carlos Ghosn. After a bumpy two years, the Alliance is set to again blossom under a new agreement. Wolfgang Porsche, chairman, Porsche AG and Porsche Automobil Holding SE Yet another to carry the family mantle (grandson of Ferdinand Porsche), Wolfgang Porsche holds huge 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, which it’ll look to surpass in 2023. Norbert Reithofer, chairman of the supervisory board, BMW When he headed up BMW from 2006 to 2015, Norbert Reithofer oversaw one of the firm’s most profitable periods. Now, as chairman of the supervisory board, his role remains vital. He was re-elected in 2020 with the promise to reform the board following accusations that only a few members had any oversight influence. William Clay Ford Jr, executive chair, Ford Automotive icon Henry Ford’s great-grandson Bill has been at the helm since 1999. Although his main priority will be the US – with 4.2m cars sold last year compared with 500,000 in Europe – his eyes will be fixed over here. That’s because its crucial Explorer EV will arrive next year as a Europe-honed crossover aiming to give it a bigger footing in a market it once dominated. Ratan Tata, chairman emeritus, Tata Group A name many in the UK 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. Under Ratan Tata’s chairmanship, 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 £13bn had been invested in new products. Anand Mahindra, chairman, Mahindra Group As the chairman a multibillion-pound global industrial giant and with a sizeable following on X (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. How are the 100 names in Autocar's Power List chosen? The Power List ranks 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 is now available to download here.