Ford marketing chief and chairman of Volvo retires

Ford Motor Company’s chief marketing officer Hans-Olov Olsson is retiring at the end of this month. It is understood that the company is looking for someone to replace him.

Olsson is responsible for developing the corporate marketing strategy for all the company’s brands. He will also be stepping down from his role as non-executive chairman of Volvo Cars. Lewis Booth, executive vice-president of Ford of Europe and Premier Automotive Group (PAG), will replace him from January 1. Volvo is part of PAG, and Booth is already chairman of two of PAG’s other brands – Jaguar and Land Rover.

Olsson has been at Volvo for more than 40 years and was previously president and chief executive. He was made chairman last year and was replaced as chief executive by Fredrik Arp (MW June 16, 2005).

Olsson was handed the new role of chief marketing officer at Ford in September last year (MW September 15, 2005), first reporting to former chief executive Bill Ford and more recently Alan Mulally, who replaced Ford.

Olsson joined Volvo in 1966 as a systems engineer for control, logistics and procurement. He went on to hold various management positions at the company all over the world, including the US, Japan and Europe.

Volvo UK appointed Stuart Kerr as managing director earlier this year following the departure of Hugh Reid (MW September 21). Kerr, who was previously Volvo’s overseas president with responsibility for the southern hemisphere, the Middle East and Eastern Europe, also took on the role of regional president for the UK, Ireland and Iceland when he replaced Reid.