Volkswagen boss defects to Volvo

Volkswagen advertising chief Bernard Bradley, responsible for the car manufacturer’s &£35m UK ad spend, has left to join Volvo.

Bradley, who handed in his notice earlier this week, has been VW’s communications manager for more than a year. He will join Volvo next month as regional communications manager for its Benelux region (UK, Ireland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and Iceland).

He will be in charge of all advertising, marketing and communications for the Ford-owned car marque. Bradley will be based at Volvo’s offices in Marlow and report directly to Gerry Keaney, who is the Benelux regional director.

Bradley says: “The attraction of joining Volvo is that it is in a worldwide growth phase.”

The company plans to increase sales from 400,000 to 600,000 cars a year.”

Bradley says another reason for his departure is that Volvo is part of the Premier Automotive Group – the division that houses Ford’s luxury brands separately from mass-market marques.

Last week, it emerged that Volvo is placing its European ad business with US agency Messner Vetere Berger McNamee Schmetter/Euro RSCG.