Robert Deane has been appointed as the brand new business operations director of Volvo Automotive UK, bringing intensive automotive sector expertise from corporations like LiveWire and Harley-Davidson.

Deane succeeds Nicole Melillo Shaw, who was promoted to the managing director function at Volvo Automotive UK final autumn.

Deane brings with him a wealth of expertise from the automotive trade, having held senior positions in varied famend corporations. Previous to becoming a member of Volvo, he served because the business director for worldwide markets at LiveWire, an electrical motorbike firm, and held the function of director of gross sales planning and community improvement for the EMEA areas at Harley-Davidson.

His intensive profession additionally consists of tenure at Jaguar Land Rover, Volkswagen Group UK, and PSA Peugeot Citroën, the place he labored each within the UK and China.

Melillo Shaw stated: “I’m delighted with Robert’s appointment. His expertise in main the transition to a direct-to-consumer mannequin, coupled along with his longevity throughout the automotive sector, will assist us to boost our shopper journey and retailer relationships. These will finally drive additional progress for our model.”

Deane is eager to make an impression at Volvo. He stated: “We’re in a fast-changing enterprise panorama the place we want to have the ability to do greater than merely provide nice merchandise and meet shopper expectations. In addition to making the buyer expertise as clean, simple and reassuring as doable, we have now to strengthen and preserve mutually rewarding relationships with retailers as we develop our D2C gross sales technique – that is one thing I’m very keen about.”

Final summer season Volvo Automotive UK transitioned to direct-to-consumer new automotive gross sales, integrating on-line and bodily experiences. 

This transfer adopted Volvo’s latest initiatives, together with on-line new automotive gross sales, Care By Volvo subscription provides, and OEM-approved used automotive gross sales. The shift to direct gross sales goals to boost the buyer journey whereas sustaining the significance of bodily dealerships in Volvo’s technique.