Ex-Porsche man returns home after stint at Ferrari and McLaren
Michael Leiters, the ex-McLaren CEO named as new boss of Porsche
Former McLaren CEO Michael Leiters will replace Oliver Blume as CEO of Porsche, who is stepping down from the position. Leiters, who joined the British supercar maker following a career at Ferrari that culminated in him becoming Chief Technical Officer, will be returning to Porsche, a company he first joined in 2000, on 1 January 2026.
Current Porsche CEO Blume has been under increasing pressure in recent months following the company’s drop in sales due to a fall in demand for its electric vehicles in China and the impact of US tariffs introduced by President Trump's administration.
Blume has also been criticised by investors and shareholders for remaining in his role at Porsche while continuing to hold the position of CEO of Volkswagen Group, something they claim is too big a responsibility for one person. The Volkswagen Group has confirmed that Blume has signed a new agreement keeping him in the role as CEO of the VW Group until the end of 2030.
> Porsche officially puts EV plans on hold, developing new petrol models instead
Leiters has been away from the automotive industry since he left McLaren earlier in 2025 following the merger between electric vehicle start-up Forseven and the supercar brand, which resulted in Nick Collins becoming the new CEO at the MTC-based company.
The ex-Ferrari man’s arrival at Woking coincided with the botched launch of the Artura, which he immediately paused to allow the company to get on top of the car’s quality and reliability issues. He also improved production quality and efficiencies at the McLaren Technology Centre and oversaw the launch of the 750S and W1 hypercar.
Prior to his arrival at McLaren, Leiters was responsible for Ferrari models such as the F8 Tributo, SF90 and 296 supercars and the Purosangue SUV during his time at Maranello. Before moving to Italy the German spent a decade at Porsche from 2000 and was instrumental in the development of the company’s first SUV, the Cayenne.
Like many European manufacturers Porsche has experienced a torrid time in recent months resulting in a drop in 2025 first half year operating profit and sales revenue, with the former falling 67 percent to €1.01 billion (c£900m) and the latter by 6.7 percent to €18.16 billion (c£16 billion).
