Volvo purchasing boss who led sustainability push resigns

Volvo Cars has begun the search for a new head of purchasing to replace Martina Buchhauser, who led the automaker's push to more ethically and sustainably source materials since arriving from BMW in 2017.

Buchhauser will return to Germany at the end of this month to "take on new opportunities," a spokeswoman told Automotive News Europe.

She will be replaced on an interim basis by Johan Larsson starting Feb. 1. Larsson will coordinate Volvo's purchasing operations until the company decides on Buchhauser's successor.

Larsson will report to Javier Varela, who is Volvo's executive management team member for industrial operations and quality.

Buchhauser held a post on Volvo's board until last April, which was when Volvo decided to roll procurement into the Varela's responsibilities.

A similar move by Volvo in March 2019 preceded the departure of former consumer and enterprise digital board member Atif Rafiq. He left the company to take a job at MGM Resorts International less than two months after that shake-up, which put Volvo executive Henrik Green in charge of a cluster that also included consumer and enterprise digital.