Polestar announces Australian management team

Polestar has announced the team to spearhead its operations in Australia ahead of its local arrival later this year, marking the first standalone presence for the Swedish-Chinese manufacturer Down Under.

Set to launch in November with the Polestar 2 crossover, the performance arm of Volvo and parent company Geely previously stated its intentions to open its own showrooms in Australia, rather than operate out of existing Volvo dealerships.

Heading Polestar Australia's local efforts will be Managing Director, Samantha Johnson, moving across from her role as director of business control, financial services and digital transformation at Volvo Car Australia.

4

The Polestar 2 will be the company's only vehicle when it launches in Australia

After a 10-year stint at Harley Davidson as director of finance and retail operations, Johnson said she's keen to get Polestar rolling in Australia and contribute to the brand's global growth.

"I am delighted to announce the Australian management team for Polestar, which brings the right mix of automotive know-how and a progressive, start-up mindset to the brand.

"The team will be instrumental in overseeing the launch of Polestar and the all-electric Polestar 2 to Australian audiences from November 2021, while playing a central role in achieving our ambitious growth plans for 2022."

4

With two motors, all-wheel-drive, 300kW/660Nm and a 500km range, the Polestar 2 could be a popular EV locally

Jeremy Goh will take the position of head of commercial, having been acquired from Nissan Australia where he was the lead for residual value management and certified pre-owned vehicles, and general manager for national sales and dealer network development for Infiniti when it existed locally.

Paul Jowett joins Polestar from outside of the automotive industry, taking up the head of business development role, most recently working as director of marketing for Huawei's retail operations and previously being a part of other tech brands in Australia such as Apple, Samsung and Vodafone.

Finally, Jonathan Williams has been given the head of marketing position after being the marketing director of tech start-up Klook Australia and New Zealand, also bringing experience from roles with PayPal and Google.

4

Supercars fans may remember Polestar for its involvement in the championship from 2014-2016, winning six races with Scott McLaughlin

Polestar-tuned Volvos were previously sold in Australia when the company was a division of the Swedish marque rather than a dedicated brand, bringing tweaked versions of models such as the XC60, V60 and S60 among others to local shores.

Volvo went through a resurgence in the mid-2010s thanks to Polestar teaming up with Garry Rogers Motorsport to run a team of S60s in the V8 Supercars championship, recording a best season finish of third in 2016 with Scott McLaughlin.