Audi 2009 Annual Report Download - page 140

137
Management Report
132 Audi Group
132 Structure
134 Strategy
137 Shares
139 Disclosures required under
takeover law
140 Corporate Management
declaration
140 System of remuneration for
the Supervisory Board and
Board of Management
140 Business and
underlying situation
153 Financial performance
indicators
157 Social and ecological aspects
168 Risks, opportunities
and outlook
177 Disclaimer
The brand attribute “sportiness” equally remains exceptionally important. Accolades for the
TT RS and R8 5.2 FSI quattro models meant that the Audi brand featured among the winners
of the coveted reader poll “Auto Bild Sportscar 2009” (Auto Bild Sportscars, issue 1/2010,
page 95).
The Company again enjoyed motorsport success in 2009, staging a successful defense of its
German Touring Car Masters (DTM) title and clinching the first hat-trick in the history of the
DTM. The Audi brand also secured a place on the rostrum in the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans
in 2009 for the 11th year in succession with its R15 TDI.
Most attractive employer
The Audi Group will remain dependent on highly qualified, dedicated employees if it is to con-
tinue to compete successfully. Progressively enhancing its appeal as an employer is therefore of
particular strategic importance. As a successful company, the Audi Group is able to offer its
personnel attractive working conditions, challenging tasks, commensurate pay and high job
security. The Audi Group took the opportunity to thank all its employees for their commitment
and hard work by holding anniversary celebrations at the Ingolstadt, Neckarsulm and Brussels
plants in the fall of 2009. Regularly conducted internal employee surveys have confirmed a high
level of satisfaction among the workforce.
Numerous external surveys have moreover attested that the Audi Group is a high-appeal em-
ployer. For instance the Company again emerged as the most popular employer among engi-
neers in the renowned graduate survey conducted by the Berlin trendence Institute (“trendence
Graduate Barometer – Business and Engineering Edition,” August 21, 2009).
Strategic target
Consistently increasing the value of the Company is one of the Audi Group’s principal objectives.
The return on investment (RoI) serves as an internal measure of the Company’s success. It re-
veals the return on capital employed for various types and scales of investment projects. The
return on investment reflects the development in a company’s profitability and is calculated
using the following formula:
Operating profit after tax
Average invested assets
Return on investment (RoI) = x 100
EUR million 2009 2008
Operating profit after tax 1,123 1,940
Average operating assets 13,329 13,157
– Average non-interest-bearing liabilities 3,557 3,343
= Average invested assets 9,772 9,814
Return on investment (in %) 11.5 19.8
With the return on investment reaching 11.5 (19.8) percent, the Audi Group was again one of
the most profitable companies in the automotive industry worldwide in the 2009 fiscal year. The
Company thus impressively underlined its high level of competitiveness despite the difficult
environment brought on by the economic crisis.
SHARES
Stock market developments
In the wake of the global financial and economic crisis, the drastic slump on stock markets
worldwide initially continued unabated at the start of 2009. Thanks to the many state rescue
packages for the financial sector and supporting measures by leading central banks, the situa-
tion on the capital markets then stabilized towards the end of the first quarter. As the year pro-
gressed, the increasingly positive business indicators and initial signs of a recovery in the global
economy fueled sharp gains on major international stock markets. A resurgence in confidence in
stock markets among market players resulted in many indices finishing the year well up.