Volvo Automobiles has employed a “digital-first enterprise chief” to assist it transition into producing half of its world gross sales on-line by 2025.

Gretchen Saegh-Fleming will be a part of the automaker July 3 from Hydrow, which sells dwelling rowing machines, the place she served as chief industrial officer for 2 and a half years.

Previous to that she spent eight years at beauty large L’Oreal, the place she rose to the position of chief advertising and marketing officer.

“Gretchen is a results-driven and digital-first enterprise chief with a powerful observe file, and I really feel assured that this can be an ideal match,” Volvo Deputy CEO and Chief Industrial Officer Björn Annwall mentioned in a launch.

At L’Oreal, Saegh-Fleming helped the corporate develop by means of new advertising and marketing fashions, accelerating digital innovation and constructing strategic partnerships throughout a portfolio of greater than 30 manufacturers, Volvo mentioned within the launch.

In 2022, on-line and direct gross sales represented 11 p.c of Volvo’s gross sales in its high 5 European markets, so the problem can be boosting that to 50 p.c of gross sales in all markets. This month the U.Okay. turned Volvo’s first one hundred pc direct market after it closed its wholesale channel.

Saegh-Fleming can be tasked with supporting Volvo’s goal of accelerating its on-line enterprise and direct shopper relations, the corporate mentioned.

Added Annwall: “Along with her huge expertise main advertising and marketing groups and creating direct-to-consumer companies, Gretchen will play an essential position in rising our model and attracting much more followers to Volvo Automobiles on our journey towards full electrification.”

Volvo goals to be an electric-only model by 2030 and desires half of the automobiles it sells — a focused 600,000 — to be battery pushed by 2025.

The automaker debuted a mannequin that can play a vital position in reaching these objectives this month: the EX30. The small SUV can be Volvo’s most reasonably priced EV, with a deliberate beginning value of about 36,000 euros in Germany.

In the meantime, the arrival of Volvo’s flagship SUV, the EX90, has been hampered by software program points.

Saegh-Fleming can be primarily based at Volvo’s U.S. headquarters in Mahwah, New Jersey. She is going to report back to Annwall and her place can be a brand new addition to the automaker’s group administration group. The so-called GMT is a tier beneath the place Annwall sits as a part of the corporate’s government administration group, which incorporates CEO Jim Rowan.