Saab Cars North America Announces New Executive National Sales Director

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Mar 04, 2011, 11:51 ET

ROYAL OAK, Mich., March 4, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Saab Cars North America today announced the introduction of a new executive national sales director, Mr. James Sweeting. The announcement comes as Saab embarks on its biggest-ever product offensive with four all-new products since 2010.

Effective March 15, Mr. Sweeting will lead sales efforts in Saab's largest market, North America. He will report directly to Saab Automobile AB Executive Director Global Sales & Aftersales and interim COO SCNA, Matthias Seidl. Over the course of the next few months SCNA aims to announce a permanent COO.

James joins SCNA with 27 years of automobile industry experience in the United States. Beginning his automotive career with Chrysler Corporation, he has spent the past 24 years with American Honda Motor Co., Inc. in various sales and marketing rolls. Most recently he held the Zone Sales Manager position in Honda's South Central Zone responsible for all sales and market representation activities in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Arkansas.

"We are honored to have Jim join our North American team in a very pivotal year for Saab Cars North America," said Matthias Seidl, Executive Director Global Sales and Aftermarket and interim COO SCNA. "Jim's extensive automotive sales experience will help rebuild Saab's presence in the North American market, ultimately increasing volume opportunities with our new product portfolio – the all-new 9-5 sedan, Saab's first crossover, the 9-4X, the 9-5 SportCombi and highly anticipated all-new 9-3."

Saab Automobile also recently announced a new global sales organization with four regions, each led by a regional director located in Trollhattan, Sweden, responsible for market development, sales and aftersales. The regions identified in the new structure are: Americas, Nordic, Europe, and Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa.

The Americas region includes the United States, and will be led by Alan Ludwell, recently responsible for importer markets at Saab Automobile AB. Magnus Hansson will continue as regional director for the Nordics, where Sweden is the largest market. The Europe region will be led by Jonathan Nash, who leaves his position as managing director of Saab Great Britain. Saab Automobile AB aims to announce a regional director for Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa, where China will become the main focus.

About Saab:

Saab, or Svenska Aeroplan Aktiebolaget (Swedish Aircraft Company), was founded in 1937 as an aircraft manufacturer and revealed its first prototype passenger car 10 years later after the formation of the Saab Car Division. In 1990, Saab Automobile AB was created as a separate company, jointly owned by the Saab Scania Group and General Motors, and became a wholly-owned GM subsidiary in 2000. In February 2010, Spyker Cars N.V. of the Netherlands, acquired the company from GM as an independently-run business.

Saab cars reflect the brand's unique Scandinavian design ethic, which is fused with its aircraft engineering heritage. The company is a global premium car maker with a distinguished history of innovation. It is recognized for its pioneering role in turbocharging, as well as occupant safety and the introduction of flex-fuel technology through Saab BioPower. Saab Automobile AB currently employs approximately 3,800 staff in Sweden, where it operates world-class production and technical development facilities at its headquarters in Trollhattan, 70 km north of Gothenburg.

http://media.saab.com/

SOURCE Saab Cars North America