Martin Merrick to replace Peter Voorhoeve, as he moves for North America appointment
Volvo Group Australia will have a new boss from September 1, with current president Peter Voorhoeve moving overseas to take on the role of President Volvo Trucks North America.
His replacement will be Martin Merrick, currently working at senior vice president of retail development with Volvo Trucks in Sweden.
Volvo Trucks International senior vice president Heléne Mellquist says Merrick has driven a number of customer-focused initiatives for the company, having worked his way up from a receptionist role at a Scottish bus and truck dealership.
“His appointment to lead Volvo Group Australia will build on the market-leading results already achieved in Australia and New Zealand. We look forward to Martin bringing his in-depth industry knowledge and rich customer insight to further grow these crucial markets,” she says.
Merrick says Volvo Australia, which is responsible for the Mack, Renault, UD and Volvo truck brands in Australia, New Zealand, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea and the South Pacific Islands, is a uniquely competitive company.
“Like many colleagues at Volvo, I have kept a close eye on what has been happening in Australia and New Zealand as they continue to be lead markets for us in areas such as R&D, particularly in developing products to suit the quite unique needs of local customers,” he says.
“Without a doubt the key to Volvo Group Australia’s success has been its drive to work in close partnership with its customers, and I look forward to continuing to build on the Group’s achievements with the support of a great local team around me.”
Volvo’s Australian and NZ markets had flourished under Voorhoeve’s leadership, Mellquist says, with the company’s truck brands holding a combined market share of 27.2 per cent at the end of 2017.
“Peter has been unrelenting in his commitment to ‘service, service, service’, and his absolute customer-focused approach has been crucial to the Group’s success in Australia and New Zealand,” she said.
“His appointment to lead Volvo Trucks North America is a demonstration of our confidence in his ability to understand and develop a market, and we wholeheartedly thank him for the hard work and great results that he has achieved in Australia and New Zealand over the past five years.”
Voorhoeve will remain in Australia to open a new Australian headquarters for the company, which he says will give it the base to grow market share even further.
“Australia has been my second home for many years now and I will miss the talented and loyal team at Volvo Group Australia,” he says.
“We have worked very hard together to grow and maintain our market leadership, and I know that Martin Merrick’s experience and focus on the customer will continue to drive the Group’s success.”