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Odell: I can help Volvo tap more potential.

Article Excerpt
Stephen Odell has been one of Ford Motor Co.'s global troubleshooters for more than a decade. The 53-year-old Englishman has spent time as a top executive at Jaguar, Mazda and Ford of Europe. On Oct. 1, he was appointed CEO of Volvo Car Corp. the first Ford executive to run the Swedish company, as well as the first non-Swede.

Just 48 hours into his new job, Odell spoke with Staff Reporter Mark Rechtin at the Paris auto show. Odell arrives at a difficult time for Volvo, which has seen its global retail sales through September drop 13.5 percent to 295,634. Six days after the interview, he decided to lay off 3,100 managers, production workers and consultants.

Fredrik Arp, your predecessor as CEO, wasn't from Volvo, but is Swedish. Before that, all Volvo bosses were from inside the company. You're a Ford man. Does your promotion signify anything about Volvo's future?

I don't think so. Being a Fordie and being a Brit, you can ask what does that mean. I can't change my nationality, but in the end it doesn't get in the way too much. I have lived in a number of locations, including Japan. My perception is to be culturally accepting and to...