Helene Svahn has led Haldex through tough cost-saving programs and efficiency improvement initiatives since June 2019, a period when the business also had been affected by the global COVID-19 pandemic. The company has recruited Jean-Luc Desire to succeed Svahn. She will continue in her current role until Desire assumes the position, at the latest on July 1, 2021.
“The board would like to thank Helene for her hard and dedicated work during the past years, in both her roles as board member and CEO. The company has developed new products under Helene’s leadership and she has also managed to lead Haldex through rough times, for both the industry and the company, not the least due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Stefan Charette, chairman of the Board. “Haldex is now in a new phase with the next generation products and with a lower cost base. The board has therefore, in agreement with Helene, decided that Haldex needs a CEO with a different industrial profile moving forward. The board and the employees would like to wish Helene the best of luck in her future endeavors.”
Svahn commented, “When I joined Haldex, as a board member and later CEO, the company had major challenges ahead. The entire industry was also put under tremendous pressure by the global pandemic. I have focused on reducing Haldex’s cost base, streamlining the organization, in parallel with driving the development of new products to secure Haldex’s position in the future. We are now beginning to see solid results from these efforts, which I am happy and proud of. My time with Haldex has been a rewarding experience that I am very grateful for and that I take with me in future assignments.”
Desire currently holds the position of vice president and general manager, Ride and Performance EMEA, at Tenneco Automotive Belgium NV. He has a Master of Science in engineering from Ecole Centrale in Paris and more than 20 years of experience in the automotive industry. Desire has previously held positions as vice president, CAR Systems, at WABCO and program director at Peugeot Citroën in Shanghai. Desire was born and raised in France and has extensive experience of working internationally. He has, among other things, been active in the USA, China and Belgium and soon also in Sweden. Desire will be based at the head office in Landskrona.
“Jean-Luc has a solid background in the automotive industry and has shown great results through growth and profitability improvements in his previous positions. Jean-Luc has a commercial drive and a technical knowledge that, together with strong leadership skills, will be a good match in the stage the company is in now,” said Chairman Stefan Charette.
