Polestar announces new board and management appointments

Swedish performance electric vehicle brand Polestar has announced some new appointments to its board of directors and management team. 

It says Winfried Vahland has been appointed to the board as a new director. 

Vahland was previously the chief executive and president of Volkswagen Group China, as well as a Skoda Auto executive board chair and a Volvo Cars board member. He is currently a member of the Proton Holdings supervisory board. 

“I’m delighted to welcome Winfried to the Board. The company will benefit from his significant automotive industry experience and track record of delivering profitable growth through a combination of successful business and product portfolio development,” Polestar board chairperson Håkan Samuelsson says.

Polestar has appointed Per Ansgar as chief financial officer (CFO) on a transitional basis, while a formal search is undertaken to replace Johan Malmqvist.

Ansgar brings 30 years of experience in senior controlling and finance roles, including CFO of Geely Sweden Holding, Deputy CFO of Volvo Cars and CFO of Volvo Cars China. 

Polestar has appointed Kristian Elvefors as Global Head of Sales. He has more than 20 years of experience in senior commercial roles in the automotive industry, most recently as Volvo Cars UK managing director and will assume responsibilities from Mike Whittington. 

“I would like to thank Johan and Mike for their many years of combined service and commitment to Polestar – we all wish them well in the future,” Polestar chief executive Thomas Ingenlath says. 

“I am delighted to welcome Per and Kristian to Polestar. Their combined experience and skills will play a key role in delivering on our business plan: securing profitable growth through our growing model line-up and reaching cash flow breakeven in 2025.”

Ingenlath says all three appointments are effective from January 15, 2024. He says both Malmqvist and Whittington are pursuing their careers outside of Polestar and will remain with the company for a while, to help ensure a smooth transition.