Volvo appoints new Retail Sales Director for coaches
Josef Gisslow has been appointed Retail Sales Director, overseeing Volvo Bus UK & Ireland’s coach sales operations.
“It’s an incredibly exciting time to be joining the UK and Ireland team” – Josef Gisslow
In his new role, Gisslow is responsible for implementing Volvo Bus UK & Ireland’s sales strategies for the retail sector, reporting directly to Domenico Bondi, Managing Director.
With more than a decade of experience in the bus and coach industry with Volvo, in both the UK and Sweden, and a background in engineering, Gisslow brings a wealth of knowledge to the role. His most recent position was Service Market Support Director, reporting to Volvo Buses’ headquarters in Gothenburg, Sweden. Gisslow has previously held positions in quality management, services and fleet management within the passenger vehicle and rail industries.
Commenting on his appointment, Gisslow said: “It’s an incredibly exciting time to be joining the UK and Ireland team. I’m really looking forward to getting out to meet and work directly with our coach customers face to face, particularly as the industry bounces back from the pandemic.
“The last 12 months has displayed a strong upward trend for coach sales, so I’m joining at a time when there’s lots of energy, both within the team and in the marketplace.”
As Retail Sales Director, Gisslow is aiming to use his deep understanding of what customers need to keep their fleets operating efficiently, while encouraging sales growth. He leads a team of five regional Account Managers, as well as having responsibility for the customer service team in Coventry.
One of Gisslow’s first appearances in his new role was at the UK Coach Operators Association (UKCOA) Annual General Meeting, which was held at Volvo Group UK headquarters in Warwick on 13th March, where he spoke about the transition to zero emission coaches.
“The coach industry faces significant challenges when it comes to creating zero emission solutions, given the range required as well as the current lack of infrastructure and public funding. However, Volvo Group is investing heavily into research and development to meet global demands,” he told business leaders from around 70 UK coach operators.