Volvo China announced major changes in senior staff, Yuan Xiaolin appointed new president

Gasgoo.com (Shanghai August 14) - Volvo has announced two several senior staff changes over the past week, the Beijing Times reported today. First, Yuan Xiaolin, who represented Geely during the its takeover of Volvo, was appointed president of Volvo China last Thursday. Soon after, Liu Yan, vice president of Volvo China's sales company, was appointed as the company's COO. Furthermore, former Volvo China President Wang Zhaoxing has now been relocated to Geely Holding Group's headquarters.

According to an official statement from the company. Mr. Yuan (pictured) will report directly to Volvo Senior Vice President and CEO of China Operations Lars Danielson. Mr. Yuan first joined Geely Holding Group in 2009, when he was discovered by Geely CEO Li Shufu. During his time at Geely, Mr. Yuan was put in charge of mergers and acquisitions, where he specifically oversaw the company's purchase of Volvo. After the purchase was completed, Mr. Yuan visited Volvo's headquarters in Gothenburg, where he acted as secretary and office director for the board of directors.

Internal staff from Volvo responded positively to the new addition to their team, with a representative saying that they "were looking very forward to Mr. Yuan's joining Volvo." The representative added that Mr. Yuan left a positive impression on Volvo's staff, and believes that his presence will help further boost Volvo's development in China.

When asked about former President Mr. Wang future appointment, Volvo China refused to offer details, stating that his move was part of normal internal transfers. It is worth pointing out that in former media conferences, Mr. Wang's role was much less prominent than that of Mr. Danielson's.

Volvo's sales in China grew 45.6 percent in 2013. Volvo China has managed to successfully achieve its strategic goals over the last two years. The manufacturer has sold 45,414 vehicles in China so far this year, representing year-on-year growth of 36.2 percent. 2014 is also set to be the year when China becomes Volvo's most important market by sales, overtaking the US.