On Thursday 25th July GAZ Group CEO, Bo Andersson, received a Distinguished Service Citation from the Automotive Hall of Fame in Detroit, USA. The citation is designed to recognize men and women “who have contributed in some significant manner to the automotive industry. It is reserved for those individuals who are active in the business and are making an important difference.”
Those nominated for the Distinguished Service Citation must meet the Hall of Fame’s exacting standards. Nominees must meet the following criteria:
- Have made a meaningful contribution to the development of the automobile, the truck, or the motor vehicle industry and achieved success in their particular field of automotive endeavor as exemplified by positions of leadership, awards and honors, patents, etc.
- Be recognized as innovative, generally characterized by the “invention” of products, ideas, or concepts and be recognized as a risk-taker, generally characterized by establishing a new direction or developing a position not popular at the time
- Be of high moral character having made contributions outside the automotive industry, exemplified through community, educational, philanthropic, or government activities
- Have a long-standing affiliation with the automotive industry
Mr Andersson’s citation recognizes the progress GAZ has made under his leadership since his appointment as CEO in 2009 and the important role he has played in that process.
The citation in Mr Andersson’s honour reads: “Bo Andersson – The president and CEO of GAZ Group in Russia is credited with achieving the best financial results in the company’s history, renewing over 75% of their product range in just 3 years, retaining leadership in the commercial vehicle market through Russia’s entry into the World Trade Organization, and launching contract manufacture of multiple vehicles with leading international auto makers.”
GAZ Group has maintained its position as Russia’s largest manufacturer of light commercial vehicles with major revamps of core products including the Sobol and GAZelle. This is part of a program that has seen 75% of the company’s product range updated within three years.
Mr Andersson has overseen the Group’s transition as it adjusts to Russian accession to the World Trade Organisation (WTO). He has also played a crucial part in GAZ’s increasing engagement with international players leading on the establishment of partnerships with top western manufacturers.
These factors, combined with increasing efficiency and productivity in GAZ’s plants, have resulted in some of the best results in the group’s history. The company’s most recent set of results for 2012 show record profit margins helped by the performance of improved product ranges in export markets, costs savings in purchasing and logistics and greater productivity.
