Polestar will now be lead in Australia by Scott Maynard, the EV-only brand announced today, following the departure of launch CEO Samantha Johnson to become interim CEO of the EV Council.
Maynard was most recently the General Manager for the Australian operation of Chinese EV giant BYD, a role he assumed just eight months ago after longer tours with Audi and Jaguar Land Rover.
His departure from BYD is understood to be a result only of Polestar’s interests. In all, Maynard brings 35 years of automotive industry experience to his new role with Polestar.
Kristian Elvefors, Head of Global Sales for Polestar, said: ”We are delighted to welcome Scott to the Polestar family. To have someone of Scott’s calibre and experience joining the team during a period of unprecedented transformation in the industry is invaluable.
“Scott not only brings extensive operational experience to the brand but is highly respected by his peers and retailers alike. Australia is a key market for Polestar, and we look forward to seeing the brand go from strength to strength as we expand from a one to three-car company,” Mr Elvefors added.
Polestar launched in Australia in 2021, under the leadership of ex-Harley Davidson and Volvo executive Samantha Johnson, along with commercial lead Jeremy Goh, business development head Paul Jowett and marketing boss Jonathan Williams. Communications veteran Laurissa Mirabelli has headed up the brand’s local media team since launch.
Polestar still offers just one model in Australia, the Polestar 2, but its bigger Polestar 3 and Polestar 4 models will arrive later this year.