9. Martin Winterkorn
Volkswagen AG chairman of the board of management
Has a tenuous grip on Europe's auto giant
2008 Rank: 5
What he's done for us lately: Championed 2007's VW Up! concept, which spawns a line of Lupo-based cars beginning in 2011 (delayed for several months). Will build VW Passat (exclusive to the United States) and Jetta replacements in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Winterkorn also wants to manufacure Audis here.
Realistic goals? While VW (division, not including Audi) struggles to sell 200,000 vehicles per year in the U.S., Winterkorn's goal is to sell 800,000 here by 2018.
His future: Handpicked by Ferdinand Piech, Winterkorn's position in a Porsche-owned VW AG is unclear.
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