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■ Melisa Seleskovic, Managing Director of Volvo Car Austria:
“We are the fastest growing premium brand on the Austrian market”!
By top-leader at, translated by AutoNews24
An interview with Melisa Seleskovic, managing director of Volvo Car Austria, discussed the group's strategic direction following Geely's acquisition, its ambitious self-developed climate plan, pioneering efforts in safety and comfort, and more.
■ Ms. Seleskovic, before you came to Volvo, you gained broad experience in various industries and functions, such as sales, digitalisation, and retail, at brands such as Coca-Cola, Microsoft, and Electrolux. At the beginning of 2023, after five years with the group, you took over responsibility for the Austrian market. What immediate and long-term goals have you now set for yourself?
■ I have personally set myself three priority goals with my team:
- An increase in market share in Austria of over 2%
- An increase in brand awareness to the industry average
- Further positive development of brand perception so that customers perceive Volvo as a premium brand and are proud to drive a Volvo.
■ You once said: “Home is where you wash the dishes.” You meant here that as a child and teenager, you moved around with your parents and lived in many countries, so home is a flexible term. Did this cosmopolitan lifestyle help or hinder you in your later professional life, especially in leadership positions?
■ Living, working and studying in different countries helped me adapt to different cultures and overcome challenges.
It helps you become stronger, more resilient, and more resistant. It leads to a more open mindset that allows you to be flexible, push your boundaries, and challenge boundaries in general. It is a challenging lifestyle. As soon as you have settled in one place, you move on to another. This resilience (i.e., adapting to change) strengthens you—and we need strength in leadership positions.
■ Volvo was founded in 1927 and has been owned by Geely Holding, a Chinese car and motorcycle manufacturer, since 2010. The Volvo Car Group also holds shares in the strategic subsidiaries of the electric performance brand Polestar (approximately 18%) and the LYNK & CO brand (approximately 30%). Volvo serves around 100 markets and employs almost 43,000 people worldwide. How has the takeover by Geely changed or influenced Volvo's business, and what positive and negative effects has this had on the group's direction?
The Geely Group's takeover was almost 15 years ago, and there were no adverse effects for a long time. The parent company valued Volvo as a traditional premium brand and continued to grant us independence and a Swedish identity. In addition, we have used the advantages of being Chinese (pioneering role in electromobility and battery technology) for Volvo.
#Volvo #Geely #Automotive #AutoNews24
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(Retired) Parts Wholesale Mgr. Fox Valley Auto Group
2moForget all those synthetic alternatives used in many makes & models today. Interior fabrics called Pleather, Vegan Leather & more material substitutes all of which do not replace the real leather product. All these substitutes are missing the unique characteristics of beauty, texture & feel, durability, and yes, that fragrance of real leather. So glad to hear that real leather will continue to be produced with current innovations & sustainability keeping the real thing alive. Hoping to see this new product carry over into other car lines...