Volvo taps Japan chief to lead China sales

Volvo Car Corp. has appointed Martin Persson, its current general manager for Japan, president of its sales company in China. 

“During his previous tenure in Japan, he worked with the team to increase market share, nurture local talent and position Volvo Cars in the high-end electric vehicle market in Japan,” Volvo said in a statement this week, referring to Persson.

From 2015 to 2017, Persson worked for Volvo in China in charge of local customer service and after-market sales. 

Volvo “believes that his experience will further drive Volvo Cars' electrification transformation in the Chinese market,” the Swedish carmaker added.

Persson will take over the role of Volvo’s China sales chief from Qin Peiji. 

Qin was made deputy general manager of Geely Automobile Group Co., Geely Holding Group Co. said this week.

Volvo and Geely Automobile Group are sister companies within Geely Holding Group, a major private Chinese automaker.

For the first seven months of this year, Volvo’s China sales gained 8 percent from a year earlier to 92,708. Of that volume, only 9.4 percent were full electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids. 

In the same period, the Swedish brand’s global deliveries advanced 18 percent to 395,856, with 39 percent of the volume generated by EVs and plug-in hybrids.