Thorsten Hofmann

Thorsten Hofmann

Professor Dr Thorsten Hofmann is a fellow of the Politics and Public Affairs MBA at Quadriga University of Applied Sciences in Berlin, Germany. He is also manager of the business consultancy Advice Partners and is chairman of both the Crisis Communication Task Force and of the communication network ECCO International Public Relations.

The Volkswagen emission crisis has shaken confidence in one of the most recognised brands in the world: it also highlights the link between trust and economics.

All was still right with the world nine years ago when VW’s former chief executive officer Martin Winterkorn presented the new slogan of his automobile empire in the glossy context of the Frankfurt Motor Show – bursting with pride and with a...