Recently, Volvo's board of directors has approved the appointment of Jim Rowan as the new CEO and president of Volvo Cars, who will succeed Hakan Samuelsson and will take office on March 21.
Rowan said in a statement: "I am delighted to join Volvo Cars at such an exciting time for the company, at a time of industry transformation. Volvo Cars' proven track record in innovation, safety and quality, combined with world-class talent and inspiring sustainability and technological capabilities, puts it at the forefront of the road ahead."
Rowan, who will begin his new role on March 21, 2022, is currently ceo of Microlight Technologies and will serve as CEO of Dyson from 2017 to 2020. Prior to that, he served as Chief Operating Officer of BlackBerry Corporation.
"I am very pleased to welcome Jim Rowan as the new CEO of Volvo Cars," said Shufu Lee, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Volvo Cars, "Volvo Cars is undergoing a rapid transformation of digitalization, which is why we want to bring in people with global CEO experience from beyond the automotive industry, rowan is the right person to accelerate Volvo Cars into the future."
Samuelsson joined Volvo Cars as a member of the Board of Directors in 2010 and has held the role of CEO since 2012, a position he will continue to do until March, when he will also leave the Board. However, he will continue to serve as Chairman of Polestar and witness its deSPACization process.
"I would also like to thank all the employees of Volvo Cars for the incredible progress they have made together over the past decade, not only for making Volvo one of the fastest growing and most trusted car brands, but also for always being a leader in innovation, and I wish you all the best in the years ahead," said Samuelsson.