Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today Together with then chief executive Martin Winterkorn, Piech steered the VW empire with a strict hand, in a hierarchical and centralist manner. The German news magazine Der Spiegel once described the atmosphere at Volkswagen under the duo as "North Korea without the labour camp." Piech dominated the German automotive sector for decades, becoming the chair of VW's supervisory board, a post he held until 2015, when he was ousted in a bitter power struggle with Winterkorn.