The automotive industry is changing. Technological developments and environmental requirements are reshaping what a car is, how people expect to be transported and how they interact with a car.
Effective April 1, Volvo Cars is restructuring its executive management team to reflect these changes and position itself for the future.
With these changes, Volvo will place technological developments and digitalization at the core of the company’s future strategy, focus on its core global business and adapt to new ways of interacting with customers in future.
Björn Annwall, currently head of Global Consumer Experience, will lead Commercial Operations, responsible for running and developing Volvo Cars’ global core business, focusing on growth and profitability.
Björn will head the EMEA region, and lead the global coordination of the EMEA region, the Americas region, which is led by Anders Gustafsson, and the APAC region, which is led by Xiaolin Yuan. Other functions that will form part of this cluster include Customer Service as well as the merged Global Marketing and Communications team.
Lex Kerssemakers, today leading Commercial Operations, will head up a new cluster, Direct Consumer Business, responsible for developing new direct business relationships with consumers.
Lex will be responsible for Care by Volvo, the company’s subscription service, and the stand alone unit M, the shared mobility service as well as Uptime, the company’s new customer service business.
Henrik Green will continue to run Research and Development, and lead the Product Creation & Quality cluster which is to be expanded with the inclusion of Design and Consumer and Enterprise Digital. This structure strengthens the linkage between Volvo Cars’ consumer digital and in-car software development.
Other changes to the Executive Management Team
In an unconnected move, Hans Oscarsson, head of Finance, will from August 1 take up a new position as chief executive officer of Geely Sweden Holding AB, the company responsible for the Geely group’s investments in the Nordic region. His replacement will be announced at a later date.
In addition, Thomas Ingenlath, who is chief executive officer of the stand-alone electrified performance car brand Polestar, will leave Volvo Cars’ executive management team. Thomas will remain responsible for Group Design, working closely with Robin Page, head of Design at Volvo.
SOURCE: Volvo Car Group
