Volvo Cars has announced further changes to its senior leadership team following Hakan Samuelsson’s return as chief executive earlier this year, including appointing managers to oversee individual product lines.
In March, Volvo’s board dismissed CEO Jim Rowan and reinstated Samuelsson, who previously led the Swedish automaker for many years, to serve for two years until a younger, long-term successor is found.
The company said Erik Severinson, formerly Chief Product & Strategy Officer, has been promoted to Chief Commercial Officer with immediate effect. He will be succeeded in his previous role by Michael Fleiss, who returns to Volvo after leaving in 2021. Fleiss had served nearly a decade with the company, most recently as Managing Director of Combustion Powertrain Operations, before moving to Aurobay Sweden — later acquired by Horse Powertrain, a joint venture between Geely and Renault — where he was Chief Strategy Officer.
Volvo said its sales team will now be divided into regions, with the new regional units forming part of the commercial team under Severinson’s leadership. Product line managers will also be appointed and will report directly to him.
“I’m very pleased to welcome Erik to this new role, and to welcome Michael back to Volvo Cars,” Samuelsson said. “Erik and Michael are highly experienced and bring a deep understanding of our company and customers, strategy and operations. The changes we are doing will strengthen Volvo Cars at this pivotal moment for the company and the industry.”
“In a rapidly changing and highly competitive market, we need to be more connected than ever to our customers’ expectations across every region,” Severinson said. “I’m excited to bring our regional, product and commercial teams closer together to ensure we’re delivering a compelling offer to every customer – wherever they are – and strengthening Volvo Cars’ position as a truly customer-centric, global brand.”
Fleiss said he was “delighted to return to Volvo Cars and take on the role of Chief Strategy & Product Officer,” adding: “Whilst this is a challenging time for the industry, it’s an incredibly energising moment to be in strategy development. We are in the middle of a transformative change driven by electrification and technology, and Volvo Cars is well-positioned to lead the way in delivering these benefits to customers.”