Volvo promotes China manufacturing head Danielson to regional chief
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Volvo Car Corp. has promoted China manufacturing boss Lars Danielson to its top job in the key market, where the automaker plans a major sales push this decade.
The 63-year-old Swede starts his new job today, replacing Freeman Shen, who will assume other duties at Volvo. Danielson reports to Volvo CEO Hakan Samuelsson.
As senior vice president of China operations, Danielson must make sure Volvo takes steps to meet its target of boosting China sales to 200,000 by 2020 from 41,989 last year.
Danielson's appointment comes as Volvo is pushing to boost deliveries in the region through the introduction of local output and a wider model lineup. Chinese expansion is at the heart of the automaker's plan to invest as much as $11 billion into the company globally by 2016.
 | Lars Danielson is tasked with overseeing a major sales offensive in China. |
Danielson joined Volvo in June 2006 after having spent most of his career at Saab and General Motors. He was plant manager at Volvo's plant in Torslanda, Sweden, for four years before taking his position as China manufacturing boss in late 2010. In this role, Danielson developed and established Volvo's manufacturing footprint in China.
"Lars Danielson has many years of valuable experience within Volvo Cars and he has successfully led the establishment of our manufacturing plant in Chengdu. I am confident that Lars, together with a dedicated team, will deliver on the next phase of our China growth plan," Samuelsson said in a statement.
In a separate development, Volvo said Doug Speck, its head of marketing, sales and customer service, will take a "renewed strategic responsibility" for sales and marketing operations in China to help support sales and brand building in the market.
Volvo sells six models in China, its No. 3 global market after the United States and Sweden, but it plans to introduce 10 new models in the country within six years.
Volvo was purchased from Ford Motor Co. by Zhejiang Geely Holding Group for $1.8 billion in 2010.
You can reach David Jolley at djolley@crain.com.
