The global boss of Scania has announced his departure from the company.
After 23 years at the helm, Henrik Henriksson will leave his role as CEO and President to join H2 Green Steel, a new venture that aims to start production of fossil-free steel by 2024.
The Board of Directors of Scania has appointed Christian Levin as the new CEO and President of Scania from May 1, 2021.
Levin is currently a member of the Executive Board of TRATON SE and Chief Operating Officer of the TRATON GROUP and has more than 20 years of experience working at Scania.
In addition to his new function at Scania, Levin will remain member of the Executive Board of TRATON SE.
“We regret that Henrik Henriksson is leaving Scania and the TRATON family, but we are also proud that he will take on such a great new challenge, a perfect match for his unique expertise as a sustainability leader,” said Matthias Gründler, CEO of TRATON SE and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Scania.
“Our industry will also benefit greatly from fossil-free steel, and TRATON will follow this venture with interest. Fortunately, we could not ask for a better-suited successor than Christian Levin. His experience and knowledge of both the industry and Scania is a perfect fit and will safeguard Scania’s commitment to sustainability and boost its transformation journey.”
Gründler will additionally assume Christian Levin’s function within the TRATON SE Executive Board on an interim basis from May on.
Levin joined TRATON SE in 2019. He began his career at Scania in 1994 as a management trainee and has held several managerial positions since then.
Levin has very broad international professional experience and holds a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm. He was Executive Vice President and Head of Sales & Marketing at Scania before joining TRATON. As Chief Operating Officer of the TRATON GROUP, he is responsible for R&D and Procurement, key factors in TRATON’s Global Champion Strategy.
“It is a very special honor for me to become CEO of Scania, the company that had such a tremendous influence on my life and career. With the passionate global team at Scania, I will work hard to further drive the shift towards a sustainable transport system. As a strong brand of the TRATON GROUP, we will continue Henrik’s successful work and create a world of mobility that is better for business, society, and the environment,” Levin said in a statement.
Henriksson was described as “an amazing driving force for sustainability” by Gunnar Killian, Board member for Human Resources and Truck & Bus at Volkswagen AG.
“Not only does Christian Levin have an in-depth knowledge of the Scania world, he also experienced the Group view when he steered global cooperation as our COO for the past two years,” he said.
“He really is a very worthy successor of Henrik. We thank Henrik Henriksson and wish him all the best in his new endeavor.”
Henriksson, who joined Scania as a trainee, said it was an emotional week in making the announcement.
In an online statement he pointed to the four years leading up to the worldwide disruption of 2020 in which Scania increased its sales by 60 per cent and almost doubled its profit.
“This tells you quite a bit about the calibre of people in the company and what the team is capable of. Scania trucks outperform in terms of quality and fuel consumption, year after year. At the same time, Scania has established frontrunner position in electrification and autonomous technologies. All thanks to the great global Scania team,” he said.
“Sustainability at Scania is an unstoppable movement and part of the DNA and the purpose of the company. Scania has the yellow leader jersey, driving the shift towards sustainable transport. I leave feeling very reassured that the flag will continue to be held high in this race,” said Henriksson.
“My journey continues with a new company. A start-up that aims to produce green steel. It’s an entrepreneurial endeavour which I really look forward to.”