Volvo Car UK has appointed Mike Johnstone as Marketing Strategy Director with immediate effect. The new role will see Mike take responsibility for developing and implementing an integrated marketing strategy to help support Volvo's ambitious growth targets.
Mike joins Volvo building on a career that has seen him work in a number of key marketing and sales roles, including the recent position of International Director of Marketing for Harley-Davidson.
Volvo sold 46,696 cars in the UK in 2016 – its highest annual sales figure for 25 years – and is well on the way to hitting its target of selling 60,000 cars a year in the UK by 2020. Models such as the new XC60 and the recently announced XC40 compact SUV will be pivotal to this, and will attract a fresh, younger audience to the brand to go alongside Volvo's traditional loyal customer base.
Commenting on his appointment, Mike said: "I'm thrilled to be joining Volvo at such an exciting time for the company. With Volvo's incredible new range of premium cars – and with more desirable products just around the corner – now is the perfect time to help the company market these cars to a new, wider audience."
Jon Wakefield, Managing Director of Volvo Car UK, said: "Volvo is expanding rapidly in the UK, and we have the rare opportunity to introduce an entirely new product portfolio to an entirely new type of customer. Mike's expertise will be invaluable in achieving this, and I am delighted to have him on board."
-ends-
-------------------------------
Volvo Car Group in 2016
For the 2016 financial year, Volvo Car Group recorded an operating profit of 11,014 MSEK (6,620 MSEK in 2015). Revenue over the period amounted to 180,672 MSEK (164,043 MSEK). For the full year 2016, global sales reached a record 534,332 cars, an increase of 6.2 per cent versus 2015. 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 534,332 cars in 2016 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 2016, Volvo Cars had more than 31,000 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).
