Volvo Cars, the premium car maker, has announced three appointments to its executive management team to further position the company for the next phase of its global transformation.
Javier Varela has been appointed senior vice president manufacturing. He joins the company from PSA Peugeot Citroen. He will start at Volvo Cars on November 1. Lars Wrebo, senior vice president purchasing and manufacturing, has decided to leave the company.
Henrik Green has been appointed senior vice president, order to delivery control and customer service. Mr Green was formerly vice president product strategy and vehicle line management at Volvo Cars.
Hanna Fager has been appointed senior vice president human resources. She has held various positions within human resources and will bring this broad experience to the role.
The above two appointments take effect on October 1, 2016.
“Volvo is mid-way through the most significant transformation in its 89 year history. Phase one of this transformation has been completed. I would like to welcome these new members to the team that is going to implement phase two,” said Håkan Samuelsson, president and chief executive.
Phase one of Volvo’s transformation started six years ago when the company was acquired by Zhejiang Geely Holdings. It involved the design of new vehicle architectures and powertrains, deciding to launch an entirely new product range, enhancing the brand’s position as a genuine competitor in the premium car market and ensuring the company remains profitable.
Phase two will be implemented over the next five years. It will involve the launch of exciting new cars including its first ever small, premium SUV, opening a new manufacturing plant in the US and building on its leading position in autonomous driving and electrification.
-------------------------------
Volvo Car Group in 2015
For the 2015 financial year, Volvo Car Group recorded an operating profit of 6,620 MSEK (2,128 MSEK in 2014). Revenue over the period amounted to 164,043 MSEK (137,590 MSEK). For the full year 2015, global sales reached a record 503,127 cars, an increase of 8 per cent versus 2014. The record sales and operating profit cleared the way for Volvo Car Group to continue investing in its global transformation plan.
About Volvo Car Group
Volvo has been in operation since 1927. Today, Volvo Cars is one of the most well-known and respected car brands in the world with sales of 503,127 in 2015 in about 100 countries. Volvo Cars has been under the ownership of the Zhejiang Geely Holding (Geely Holding) of China since 2010. It formed part of the Swedish Volvo Group until 1999, when the company was bought by Ford Motor Company of the US. In 2010, Volvo Cars was acquired by Geely Holding.
As of December 2015, Volvo Cars had almost 29,000 employees worldwide. Volvo Cars head office, product development, marketing and administration functions are mainly located in Gothenburg, Sweden. Volvo Cars head office for China is located in Shanghai. The company’s main car production plants are located in Gothenburg (Sweden), Ghent (Belgium), Chengdu and Daqing (China), while engines are manufactured in Skövde (Sweden) and Zhangjiakou (China) and body components in Olofström (Sweden).
