After two years at Polestar, Lutz Stiegler is returning to Volvo Cars, where he will serve as Head of Architecture Strategy and join the company’s extended management team. The German engineer will report directly to Michael Fleiss, Volvo’s Chief Strategy and Product Officer.
Volvo has not made an official announcement about Stiegler’s appointment, and his LinkedIn profile still lists him as Chief Technical Officer (CTO) at Polestar. However, Polestar’s website now names Gerry Yang as the company’s new CTO as of October 2025. Yang has been with Geely’s External Collaboration Institute since 2021 and previously coordinated technology collaboration between Geely and Volvo Cars.
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Stiegler’s return marks another leadership shift within the Geely Group. After 18 years at the engineering service provider IAV, he joined Volvo in 2013, initially overseeing powertrain development before moving into electrified systems, including software, batteries, and charging solutions. Prior to joining Polestar in December 2023, he was responsible for the development of all hardware and software for Volvo’s electric powertrains. At Polestar, he played a key role in developing the Polestar Performance Architecture (PPA) platform for the upcoming Polestar 5.
In his new role, Stiegler will oversee Volvo’s technical platform strategy at a time when the company is recalibrating its long-term electrification plans. CEO Håkan Samuelsson, who recently returned to Volvo, has acknowledged that the automaker may continue offering plug-in hybrids through the 2030s to meet customer demand.
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Stiegler’s combination of expertise in both combustion and electric powertrains aligns closely with Volvo’s current strategy. His appointment also follows a pattern of former Polestar and Volvo executives rejoining the Swedish brand. Among them is Thomas Ingenlath, Polestar’s former CEO and Volvo’s longtime design head, who now advises Geely Sweden Holding on design-focused projects across Geely’s automotive portfolio, including Volvo, Polestar, Zeekr, and Lynk & Co.