Anne Belec, Volvo's President & CEO, Joins WestStart-CALSTART Board

PASADENA, Calif.--Volvo Cars of North America, LLC (VCNA) President and CEO Anne Bélec has joined the board of directors of WestStart-CALSTART. Bélec will serve as the first automotive industry representative on the board of North America’s leading advanced transportation technology organization.

“Anne has a well-deserved reputation at Volvo for knowing what customers want, including safety and care for the environment,” said John Boesel, President and CEO of WestStart-CALSTART. “Her automotive marketing and operational expertise will contribute greatly to WestStart-CALSTART’s support of the clean vehicle industry.”

Prior to joining Volvo, Bélec held positions as Director of Sales Planning and Distribution for Ford Motor Company, Network Business Development Manager and General Marketing Manager at Lincoln-Mercury Division and Worldwide Marketing Plans Manager (Product Development) at Ford. Long recognized by colleagues and industry press as an exceptional manager, Bélec was nominated by Automotive News as one of the “100 Leading Women in the North American Automotive Industry” in 2005.

WestStart-CALSTART and VCNA have had a collaborative relationship for more than decade. The organizations have worked to transfer knowledge about the highly successful Swedish biomethane program to industry and government leaders in California. VCNA’s Science Officer has also served on the WestStart-CALSTART Technical Advisory Committee for 10 years.

“Volvo has had a long and trusted relationship with WestStart-CALSTART,” Bélec said. “Both organizations are committed to protecting the environment while also providing consumer-oriented mobility options. I look forward to advancing the relationship between our organizations by joining the Board. Environmental sustainability is a core value for Volvo, and I will bring our strong interest in new fuels and technologies that promote sustainability, energy security and safety.”

Bélec holds an MBA from Fuqua School of Business at Duke University, and two BA’s from the University of Ottawa, in business administration and marketing. She has also served as Honorary Chair of the March of Dimes Signature Chefs Auction in Chicago, Co-Chair of “Volvo Best Buddies Challenge: Hearst Castle” and hosts the annual Volvo for life Awards which recognizes hometown heroes.

About Volvo Cars of North America

Volvo Cars of North America, LLC (VCNA), based in Irvine, Calif., is a subsidiary of the Volvo Car Corporation of Göteborg, Sweden. VCNA provides marketing, sales, parts, service, technology and training support to Volvo automobile retailers in the United States, and oversees Volvo operations in Canada, Mexico and Puerto Rico. Volvo has been building cars with safety in mind for 80 years. For more information: www.volvocars-pr.com

About WestStart-CALSTART

WestStart-CALSTART is North America’s leading advanced transportation technologies consortium. It is a participant-supported organization of approximately 140 firms and organizations worldwide, dedicated to expanding and supporting a high-tech transportation industry that cleans the air, creates jobs and improves energy efficiency. WestStart serves as a strategic broker to spur advanced transportation technologies, systems and the companies that make them. Its California operating division does business as CALSTART. Visit www.weststart.org for more information.