Dive Brief:
- Björn Annwall, chief commercial officer and CEO of Volvo Cars, will step down from his position on Nov. 1 as the automaker attempts to navigate a challenging operating environment, according to a Wednesday press release.
- In addition to Annwall’s departure, the company announced a series of other leadership adjustments, also effective Nov. 1, in order to act with “speed and agility” amid geopolitical and macroeconomic uncertainties, such as rapid technology shifts and market sentiment. Volvo Cars, a division of Volvo Group, recently announced it was pushing back its goal to become a fully electric car company by 2030.
- “In a rapidly changing world, we need to ensure our organisation is equipped to navigate a more challenging market. We are now regrouping our commercial leadership team with a focus on making Volvo Cars even stronger with increased speed and efficiency,” Volvo Cars CEO Jim Rowan said in the release.
Dive Insight:
Volvo Cars is flattening its organizational structure within its commercial business with the aim of increasing simplicity, speed and collaboration, as well as reduce complexity.
Annwall, who has been with the automaker for nine years, has held his current role since June 2022, according to his LinkedIn profile. He will stay on to support the transition of the new organization before moving on to a new position outside of Volvo Cars, per the release.
The other executive updates include:
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Arek Nowinski will become president of International Markets and lead Volvo Cars’ Europe, US and Canada, APEC, Latin America and global importers business, as well as volume planning and global offer.
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Gretchen Saegh-Fleming, Volvo Cars’ current head of global marketing, will also lead customer experience and marketing going forward, which will include brand, customer care, experience insights and analytics.
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Oscar Bertilsson Olsborg, former CFO of Volvo Cars Americas, will become head of global commercial operations. Alongside retailer and service development, he will be responsible for commercial digital, and will join the group management team, reporting to Rowan.
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Erik Severinson, chief product and strategy officer, will lead commercial strategy, in addition to company and product strategy, program management, sustainability, digital, quality and energy businesses.
Volvo Cars also added to its executive management team in May following the departure of former COO and deputy CEO Javier Varela, who joined electric truckmaker Rivian. Severinson, Anders Bell, chief engineering and technology officer, and Francesca Gamboni, chief supply chain officer, all began reporting directly to Rowan at that time.
Volvo Cars’ other executive management team members are: CFO Johan Ekdahl, General Counsel and Chief Legal Officer Helen Hu, Chief People Officer Hanna Fager and Chief Communication and External Affairs Officer Olivia Ross-Wilson.
