Factbox-From Audi trainee to Porsche chief, VW's new CEO

LONDON (Reuters) - Volkswagen's Herbert Diess is stepping down as chief executive and will be replaced by Oliver Blume, who joined Europe's biggest carmaker as a graduate trainee almost 30 years ago, the German carmaker said on Friday.

Blume, 54, was considered one of the potential candidates to succeed Diess, whose frail relationship with German trade unions had created uncertainty about his future leadership.

Here's what we know about Blume's career:

* After studying mechanical engineering at university, he started his career in 1994 when he joined Audi's international trainee programme. He had various roles including in body construction and logistics.

* In 2009, he was appointed head of production planning at VW in Wolfsburg, the carmaker's headquarters.

* He joined the management board in charge of production and logistics at VW's luxury car brand Porsche in 2013.

* Two years later, he was promoted to CEO, spearheading the company's effort to list on the stock market as it shores up funding to shift to electric-driven sports cars.

* In 2018, he was appointed to VW's management board responsible for production.

(Reporting by Josephine Mason, Editing by Louise Heavens)