Volvo’s Samuelsson Named World Car Person of the Year

The organizers of the World Car of the Year awards have named Volvo Car Corp. CEO Hakan Samuelsson as the group’s inaugural “Car Person of the Year.”

Samuelsson is honored for making Volvo “an aspirational brand again” by building on the company’s image as a safety and technology leader, while developing emerging autonomous vehicle systems and new mobility services. He also is praised for launching the company’s new Polestar sub-brand and successfully integrating Volvo into parent Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Ltd.’s operations.

Nicknamed “The Disrupter,” Samuelsson is credited with overhauling Volvo’s vehicle lineup and increasing sales. The carmaker aims to sell 800,000 vehicles worldwide by 2020, up from a record 571,600 last year.

This year’s World Car winners will be announced at next month’s New York auto show. The finalists for the main title are a trio of crossover vehicles: the Mazda CX-5, Range Rover Velar and Volvo XC60.