Volvo's Global Design Head Jeremy Offer to Depart, Nick Gronenthal to Interim Role

According to reports, Volvo Cars has announced in an internal memo that Jeremy Offer, the company's global design head, will be leaving after more than two years in the role. Nick Gronenthal, the head of car design at Volvo, will temporarily take over the position starting August 15. Offer's departure is said to be motivated by his desire to spend more time with family in the UK. In the memo, Offer stated, "This was not an easy decision, but it is the right one for me. I am proud of our team and what we have accomplished together, and I am confident that the Volvo Cars design team will be in capable hands." This marks the second significant management change at Volvo since Hakan Samuelsson took over as CEO on April 1. The other change includes the appointment of Fredrik Hansson as the company's Chief Financial Officer. Former CEO Jim Rowan appointed Offer as design head, despite Offer not having held a senior position at a global automaker prior to this. Rowan noted that Offer brought a fresh perspective, multitasking ability, and numerous industrial design awards to Volvo. Before joining Volvo, Offer served as Chief Design Officer and Senior Vice President at electric vehicle startup Arrival, which entered bankruptcy proceedings in February 2024. The same year, Canoo acquired Arrival's manufacturing assets. Like Offer, Samuelsson was a newcomer in the automotive industry when he became CEO in March 2023, having previously held senior roles at Dyson and BlackBerry. An industry insider close to Volvo and other automakers remarked, "It seems that the attempt to place newcomers in CEO and design head roles hasn't been very successful." Offer's departure coincides with Geely Group, Volvo's parent company, hiring Thomas Ingenlath as a senior design consultant. Ingenlath, who took on the role in June, reports to Geely's chairman Eric Li and will focus on design projects for the group's brands, including Volvo, Polestar, Geely, Zeekr, and Lynk & Co. The insider emphasized that Ingenlath has deep ties with Volvo and his extensive design experience, including over 12 years at Volkswagen, will benefit the company. Samuelsson expressed confidence in Ingenlath’s abilities, stating on July 17, "He has excellent insights into what great design should look like and rich experience in understanding the connection between design excellence and engineering feasibility." Samuelsson added that Ingenlath will be highly valued by the Volvo design team. The insider revealed that Ingenlath frequently visits Volvo's design center in Gothenburg, while also suggesting that Gronenthal may not become the formal design head, as he, like Offer, lacks long-term leadership experience in a top-tier automotive design team. Gronenthal, 44, an American, joined Volvo in 2022 as the design head for the company’s previous studio in California. His LinkedIn profile indicates he began his career at BMW Designworks in 2005, worked at BMW for nearly a decade, then joined electric vehicle manufacturer Faraday Future in 2015. After leaving Faraday Future, he co-founded SC+P in Los Angeles, serving as Creative Director, before leading design projects for Canoo four years later. A Volvo spokesperson declined to provide specific details on how the company plans to fill the position or whether the selection process will include internal and external candidates.