Stefan Jacoby Named President and Chief Executive of Volvo Cars; New Board Unveiled
Hangzhou, China / Gothenburg, Sweden – 2nd August 2010 – Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co., Ltd. (“Geely Holding Group”), one of the fastest-growing car manufacturers in China, today announced it has completed the acquisition of 100 per cent of Volvo Car Corporation (“Volvo Cars”) from Ford Motor Company.
Geely also announced that Stefan Jacoby, the Chief Executive of Volkswagen Group of America, would become President and Chief Executive Officer of Volvo Cars.
Li Shufu said: “This is a historic day for Geely, which is extremely proud to have acquired Volvo Cars. This famous Swedish premium brand will remain true to its core values of safety, quality, environmental care and modern Scandinavian design as it strengthens the existing European and North American markets and expands its presence in China and other emerging markets.”
Stefan Jacoby, the new President and Chief Executive of Volvo Cars, said: “I am honoured to join a company with the prestige and growth potential of Volvo. Our employees, suppliers, dealers – and above all our customers – can be confident that Volvo will preserve its special status as the industry leader in vehicle safety and innovation – even as it pursues new market opportunities.”
Following completion of the transaction, Mr Stefan Jacoby will join the board of Volvo Cars, chaired by Li Shufu, Chairman of Geely Holding Group. The board will comprise several new directors including Hans-Olov Olsson, a former President and Chief Executive of Volvo Cars and a former Chief Marketing Officer of Ford, who will become Vice-Chairman of the board.
As announced on the signing of the stock purchase agreement on 28th March, 2010 Geely has agreed to pay USD 1.8 billion for Volvo Cars, which included a USD 200 million note with the balance paid in cash.
Geely issued the note and paid USD 1.3 billion in cash for Volvo Cars, utilising financing from Chinese institutions and its own balance sheet as well as international capital market resources. The closing consideration reflects adjustments in areas such as pension obligations and working capital.
Under the new ownership, Volvo Cars will retain its headquarters and manufacturing presence in Sweden and Belgium; and its management will have the autonomy to execute on its business plan under the strategic direction of the board.
As part of the transaction, Volvo and Ford will maintain close component and supply relationships, ensuring continuity in areas where they provide supply to each other.
Completion of the acquisition, which follows more than a year of talks between Geely and Ford, was marked at a signing ceremony in London attended by Li Shufu and Lewis Booth, Chief Financial Officer at Ford.
Mr Li thanked Ford and the Volvo Cars management for their support during the transaction negotiations, and also paid tribute to union and government officials with whom Geely built close contacts.
“The signing and completion of this acquisition reflects the commitment of Ford and Volvo executives to the future of this company, along with the vital input of labour representatives and government officials in Sweden, Belgium and China as well as other relevant countries,” said Mr Li.
The Geely Chairman added that Mr Stefan Jacoby will succeed Stephen Odell as Volvo Cars’ President and Chief Executive, taking up his role on 16th August, 2010.
Hans Oscarsson, deputy Chief Financial Officer, will become acting CFO of Volvo Cars, replacing Stuart Rowley. Mr Odell and Mr Rowley are moving to leadership roles at Ford of Europe.
Along with the new management team at Volvo Cars, Geely today named the full board of directors for the Swedish carmaker, comprising:
-
Li Shufu (Chairman)
-
Hans-Olov Olsson (Vice-Chairman)
-
Freeman H. Shen
-
Håkan Samuelsson
-
Dr. Herbert Demel
-
Lone Fonss Schröder
-
Winnie Kin Wah Fok
The board – which will include three labour representatives nominated by unions at Volvo Cars – will assume its duties on completion of the transaction.
For Volvo Car South Africa it will be business as usual at our head office and in our dealer network and we can reassure our Volvo owners and potential owners that they will not be affected by the sale. Geely values Volvo’s approach to business and quality, and as such will protect this strongly.
About Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co., Ltd.
Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co. Ltd. was founded in 1986 with its headquarters in Hangzhou, China. Zhejiang Geely Holding Group and its associated companies have established operations that span the automotive value chain, from research, development and design to production, sales and servicing. They are a fully-integrated independent auto manufacturer producing cars, engines and transmissions. Today, they are one of China’s fastest growing automotive manufacturers, as well as the industry’s leading privately held group.
