Polestar names new finance, R&D bosses

Polestar has bolstered its management team by naming new finance and R&D bosses.

Johan Malmqvist, 45, started this month as chief financial officer, succeeding Ian Zhang, who will remain on the Volvo Cars subsidiary’s management team with a focus on the Asia Pacific.

Malmqvist has more than 20 years’ international experience across multiple sectors. Most recently he was CFO at Dole Food Company.

“Johan’s business-oriented approach will be invaluable as we accelerate our growth and operations,” Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath said in a statement.

Jörg Brandscheid, 54, will start next month as Polestar’s chief technology officer (R&D), replacing Hans Pehrson, who will take over leadership the Polestar’s effort to create a climate neutral car by 2030.

Brandscheid has nearly 30 years of automotive experience, holding executive R&D roles across a range of technical areas and companies. He will join Polestar from Germany lighting specialist Hella, where he was executive vice president of electronics for the supplier’s Asia Pacific unit.

“Investing heavily in our technical competence especially in software development will boost our position and raise our profile as an EV company,” Ingenlath said. “Jörg will grow our R&D capacity and capabilities, increasing our core competencies in software and electric vehicle technology.”