Dieselgate monitor Larry Thompson’s counterpart on the Volkswagen side was Hiltrud Werner, a woman who by all accounts could go toe-to-toe with Thompson in intelligence, leadership ability, and strength of character—not that the two were pitted against each other. Quite the opposite. Werner and Thompson worked together beautifully.

“As a boss, she’s inspiring,” said Stephanie Davis, whom Werner hired as Volkswagen Group of America’s first CECO in 2017. “Tough but fair. I would never want to go into a meeting unprepared with Hiltrud Werner. She knows everything about the subject she’s asking you about.”