Swedish electric vehicle manufacturer Polestar has announced a significant executive shake-up, with Chairman Håkan Samuelsson retiring from the company. Samuelsson, a former CEO of Volvo Cars, has been instrumental in guiding Polestar from its inception as an independent entity to its successful initial public offering (IPO) in June 2022.
His retirement, announced on June 18, 2024, will take effect following Polestar’s annual shareholder meeting, the date of which has yet to be confirmed. In a statement, Samuelsson expressed pride in Polestar’s achievements, stating, “I am extremely proud of what Polestar has achieved in such a short time. Polestar combines design, luxury, and performance in a way that creates the most attractive cars available in a fast-growing EV market.”
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Replacing Samuelsson as Chairman will be Winfried Vahland, a seasoned automotive industry veteran. Vahland has previously served as the CEO and President of Volkswagen Group China, CEO of Škoda Auto, and board member of Volvo Cars from 2019 to 2024. In a comment, Vahland expressed excitement about Polestar’s future, saying, “The world has been wowed by Polestar 2. Our product offensive is now unleashing its full power, with Polestar 3 and Polestar 4 on the market and Polestar 5 receiving impressive early reviews. I look forward to helping steer Polestar towards fully realizing its potential.”
Additionally, Polestar’s North American operations will see a change in leadership, with Anders Gustafsson, former CEO of Volvo Car USA, taking over as head of Polestar’s United States and Canada operations from July 1, 2024. Gustafsson will replace Gregor Hembrough, who has been promoted to head of Polestar’s global sales operations.
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In the UK, Polestar has appointed Matt Galvin as its new Managing Director. Galvin, who previously led the UK operations of Chinese EV manufacturer Nio, brings a wealth of experience from his time at Volvo Cars and Mercedes-Benz.
