• March 11, 2008

Belec had been president/CEO of Volvo's North American operations. She will be replaced there by Doug Speck, 48, who joined VCNA in July 2006 and was named EVP/sales and marketing in March 2007.

Prior to taking the helm at VCNA, Belec, 45, was VP/sales operations at Volvo Car Corp. During her three-year tenure as president/CEO, she oversaw the launches of the C70, S80, C30, XC70 and V70.

In her new position with Ford, Belec will be responsible for global marketing strategies and processes, brand positioning and consumer insights, and will report directly to Jim Farley, group vice president, Marketing and Communications.

Volvo Cars of North America is moving from Irvine, Calif., where it has been housed with Ford's Premier Automotive Group brands, to Rockleigh, N.J., where Volvo has its customer care, parts and service operations.

"We have evaluated the situation in the U.S. market and decided to consolidate our headquarters operations in one location," said Gerry Keaney, SVP/marketing, sales and service, in a release. "It is a natural choice to go back to Volvo Cars' original location in New Jersey as we already have major operations and facilities there."

The company moved from Rockleigh to Irvine in 2001 when Ford grouped Volvo with Land Rover, Jaguar, and Aston Martin. The company says the relocation will affect fewer than 80 Irvine employees.--Karl Greenberg