Duan Jianjun seamlessly transitions from Mercedes Benz to Volvo

On May 11th, new news came from the luxury car industry that just 10 days after leaving Mercedes Benz, Duan Jianjun, former president of Beijing Benz Sales Company, has taken on a new role as president and CEO of Volvo Greater China. Duan Jianjun will be in full charge of end-to-end business in Greater China, responsible for the overall operation of the industrial and commercial sectors throughout the entire value chain (research, production, supply, and sales). Duan Jianjun has over 30 years of experience in the automotive industry, having worked for Fiat, Volkswagen, and BMW. He joined Mercedes Benz in 2013 and became the first Chinese CEO of Mercedes Benz Sales Company in 2023. During his 13 years at Mercedes Benz, he promoted China to become the world's largest single market, achieving the milestone of "double 5 million". He resigned as CEO of Mercedes Benz in February 2026 and stepped down as strategic advisor on April 30th. This seamless connection not only conforms to the rhythm of Duan Jianjun as a "workaholic", but also reflects the urgent demand of car companies for local senior professional managers. Volvo is facing a critical period of transformation, with sales of 149000 vehicles in China in 2025. In the first quarter of 2026, sales decreased by 17% year-on-year, but new energy vehicle models increased by 116% year-on-year, accounting for 30.1% in March. It adopts a "hybrid fuel electric" three track strategy and lays out multi platform vehicle models, but faces challenges such as shrinking fuel base and redundant architecture. The addition of Duan Jianjun may inject new impetus into its transformation.