On January 1st, 2026, Magnus Nilsson will take over as the new CEO and plant manager of Volvo Car Gent from Stefan Fesser. After more than seven years, Stefan Fesser will take on a strategic role within the company.
Magnus Nilsson (58) was born in Sweden. He has worked for Volvo Cars since 1988, in various technical and management positions. Between 2011 and 2013, he managed the Ghent welding factory. According to Volvo’s communication, he will continue the focus on “people-oriented leadership” at the Ghent site.
Central role
The Ghent plant is one of Volvo Cars’ most important industrial sites in Europe. The factory plays a central role in Volvo’s global production network and builds the most important models for Europe, including the XC40, EX40, EC40, V60, and EX30.
In 2024, the plant delivered 186,313 cars. The site in Ghent employs approximately 6,500 people, making it one of the most important industrial employers in Flanders.
The market remains challenging, however: Volvo saw global sales fall by 2% in October to 60,455 cars. A factor that certainly plays a role is the increasing pressure from competition, primarily from Chinese electric car manufacturers. In the first ten months of this year, sales were down 8% year-on-year.
Challenging periods
Stefan Fesser has led the factory over the past few years during a significant transition to full electrification. He was at the helm when the factory had to scale up the key model, the Volvo EX30, at record speed.
He also guided the site through several challenging periods, including the coronavirus crisis and the global semiconductor shortage. According to Volvo’s press release, Fesser will take on a “strategic role” at Volvo Cars after more than seven years. The appointment of Magnus Nilsson as successor to Stefan Fesser underlines the strategic focus the group is giving to the Ghent site.
60th anniversary
Volvo Car Gent recently celebrated its 60th anniversary. The first car rolled off the production line in 1965, and since then, the Ghent factory has grown into a vital link in Volvo Cars’ global production network.
The Ghent factory became the first European Volvo site to put a fully electric model into production, in line with the group transition. Under Fesser’s leadership, there was a strong focus on efficiency, local sourcing, and sustainability (including renewable energy and logistics optimization).
Due to its strategic location in North Sea Port, the factory is a crucial socio-economic player in the region around Ghent, but also plays a prominent role in the industrial landscape of Flanders, Belgium, and, by extension, Europe. The factory expects to exceed the 200,000-car production milestone by 2025, continuing to build on the mobility of the future.
