9:20 am, August 28, 2024
Polestar has appointed Michael Lohscheller as its new CEO following the shock resignation of long-standing boss Thomas Ingenlath.
Ingenlath has been at the helm of the Swedish outfit since its inception seven years ago but he will now stand aside in the coming months.
From October 1, his shoes will be filled by Lohscheller, who has previously served as CEO of Opel, VinFast and Nikola.
It comes amid a period of wider change at the top of Polestar, with Matt Galvin taking over from Jonathan Goodman as the brand’s UK boss at the end of June.
The board say that their new man is an expert in ‘navigating competitive markets and scaling businesses’ making him the ‘ideal leader’ as Polestar looks to continue growing.
Winfried Vahland, Polestar’s incoming chairman, said: ‘Polestar has experienced an exceptional start-up phase and with a broader model line-up, Michael Lohscheller is the ideal leader to guide Polestar into its next chapter.
‘His deep industry knowledge, especially in driving operational excellence, developing a coherent product strategy and strengthening the global market presence will be instrumental in the next chapter of Polestar’s growth.
‘With Scandinavian heritage, passion and performance Polestar will set new standards for future individual mobility. Geely remains deeply committed to Polestar’s success, and with Michael at the helm, supported by a dynamic leadership team, we are well-positioned for continued innovation and growth.’
Lohscheller himself added: ‘I am honoured to join Polestar at such an exciting time in the company’s history.
‘Polestar has already established itself as one of the most desirable and innovative brands in the electric vehicle space, and I look forward to working with the talented team to build on this strong foundation and accelerate our development.’
During his time in charge of Polestar, Ingenlath has overseen rapid growth at the company and chairman Vahland was quick to pay tribute to the outgoing CEO.
He said: ‘Thomas has been instrumental in shaping Polestar into the innovative and forward-thinking brand it is today, leading its transformation from a Volvo performance division into the only true global premium electric vehicle brand, with an outstanding focus on design, performance and premium qualities. We extend our deepest gratitude for his leadership.’
Ingenlath added: ‘I am very proud of what we’ve achieved together in the last seven years. We had the vision of an electric premium brand which puts performance and design at its core.
‘We made it, the dream became reality: Polestar is the only true global premium electric brand, we just launched the Polestar 3 and 4, we are producing on two continents – thank you to everybody who contributed so far on this journey, it was a lifetime experience to build up this brand with you all.
‘I wish Michael and the team the best for the next chapter of Polestar.’
