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Volvo Cars reports Q3 2024 core operating profit of SEK 5.7 billion

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Q3 operating profit (excl. JVs and associates) was SEK 5.7 bn, vs SEK 6.1 bn in Q3 2023Q3 operating profit was 5.8 bn SEK, vs SEK 4.5 bn in Q3 2023Q3 EBIT margin (excl. JVs and associates) was 6.2 per cent, vs 6.7 per cent in Q3 2023Q3 EBIT margin was 6.2 per cent, vs 4.8 per cent in Q3 2023Q3 revenue was 93 bn SEK, vs 92 bn SEK in Q3 2023Q3 electrified share of sales at 48 per cent, vs 34 per cent in Q3 2023Q3 fully electric car sales share at 25 per cent, vs 13 per cent in Q3 2023

GOTHENBURG, Sweden, Oct. 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Volvo Cars today reports a core operating profit (EBIT), excluding joint ventures and associates, of SEK 5.7 billion for the third quarter of 2024, versus SEK 6.1 bn for the same period in 2023.

Gross margins came in at 20.5 per cent for the third quarter, broadly in line with the company’s underlying operational gross margins for the first half of 2024. Revenues for the period amounted to SEK 93 billion and the core EBIT margin landed at 6.2 per cent. Free cash flow was around flat at SEK -0.4 billion.

As stated during its Capital Markets Day in September, Volvo Cars aims to outgrow the premium car market* and generate a core EBIT margin of 7-8 per cent as well as strong free cash flows from 2026 onwards. The company is determined to reach its ambitions and has a clear roadmap towards doing so.

However, achieving these ambitions will not be straightforward since the weakness in the market has recently accelerated – a fact also echoed in revised industry forecasts for 2024 and 2025 by third-party analysts. Overall industry demand continues to soften and is now affecting the premium segment.

“Our journey towards 2026 will not be linear, as our industry is facing an increasingly volatile environment,” says Jim Rowan, chief executive for Volvo Cars. “Macroeconomic headwinds are intensifying, as is geopolitical complexity. Despite these challenges we demonstrated resilience during the third quarter of 2024, which is reflected in our overall financial performance.”

Volvo Cars has grown faster than its premium peers this year. The company’s third-quarter sales rose by 3 per cent to 172,849 cars sold, with electrified models (fully electric and plug-in hybrid cars) representing 48 per cent of the total.

Volvo Cars’ electrified share was the highest for the premium car industry in Europe. For the first nine months, Volvo Cars sales increased by 10 per cent year-on-year. This gives the company a foundation to outgrow the premium car market in 2024, which is expected to grow by less than 1 per cent this year. 

In Europe, Volvo Cars increased its market share to 2.4 per cent during the quarter, from 1.7 per cent in the same period last year, in an increasingly competitive market while retaining its premium pricing position. Although the market is softening, the company is encouraged by the strong performance of its balanced portfolio of fully electric (BEV) cars, plug-in (PHEVs) and mild hybrids. The EX30 remained among the best-selling EVs in Europe and the XC60 continues to be one of the most popular PHEVs in the region.

However, the car market in the company’s main regions of Europe, China and the US is increasingly under pressure which affects demand. Given this accelerating weakness in the market and Volvo Cars’ focus on safeguarding value over volume, the company expects minimal volume growth during the fourth quarter. As a result, it now anticipates full-year sales growth of 7-8 per cent, instead of its earlier forecast of 12-15 per cent. 

Volvo Cars retained its premium position in China by focusing on price discipline, resulting in lower sales volumes. In the US, the performance of its electrified range remained solid, but here too the overall market has weakened. Lower interest rates may improve the situation over time in these markets and Volvo Cars continues to monitor developments and adapt accordingly.

Volvo Cars has actively adapted its sales and production plan to reduce inventory during the second half of the year. This is materialising according to plan, and the company remains focused on diligent inventory management. At the same time, it is also in the process of moving cars off its balance sheet in some European markets as part of its adjusted commercial approach.

The company is determined to safeguard value and cash, while working resolutely towards its 2026 ambitions. However, the revised full-year sales guidance of 7-8 per cent also affects Volvo Cars’ expectations for free cash flow for this year. While it continues to drive its free cash flows towards neutral for 2025 and strong from 2026, Volvo Cars now anticipates its full-year free cash flow to be single digit-negative in SEK bn for 2024, rather than neutral, due to the overall weakness in the market and resulting in lower sales expectations in the fourth quarter.

As the company reiterated during its Capital Markets Day, it is investing in new technologies, infrastructure and cars to ensure that it becomes a leader in next-generation mobility. Volvo Cars expects these planned investments to peak during the 2024-25 period. After this phase it plans to start generating strong free cash flows from 2026 onwards.

Looking ahead

Volvo Cars has five fully electric cars on the road, and five more in development. As previously communicated, it plans to start building the EX30 in its Ghent plant during the first half of 2025, with volumes ramping up in the second half.

The company also continues to invest in its hybrid cars, exemplified by the updated, ready-for-a-new-era version of the iconic XC90 plug-in hybrid SUV. By refreshing these and other hybrid models, Volvo Cars maintains a balanced product portfolio for the current marketplace. All this will allow it to outgrow the premium car market and take market share.

Volvo Cars is confident that this strong and balanced product portfolio will remain attractive going forward. Coupled with its premium brand positioning, this will help it to partly mitigate the effects of a weakening market. 

The company expects the car industry to remain under pressure. Hence it is doubling down on actions to tackle these external challenges, to build an even more resilient company and further reinforce operational efficiencies.

The company’s internal cost efficiency initiative has already resulted in lower variable costs and remains a crucial focus area, and actions in this area will be accelerated. Improving cost efficiency is an ongoing exercise and a core part of how the company operates. Volvo Cars is looking at both investments as well as fixed and variable costs to lower its cost structure and free up cash.

“We cannot control the current geopolitical uncertainties and economic headwinds,” says Jim Rowan. “But we can navigate them with speed, purpose, and a clear focus. Our focus is more than ever on preserving cash while creating value – for our shareholders, customers and employees. We have proven before that we can handle challenges, and we will handle them again. Business is not a game of perfection, it is a game of progress. And despite current challenges, Volvo Cars is making progress. This is shown in our results, our technology, our talent, and ultimately our cars.”

* Volvo Cars’ ambition to outgrow the market entails outgrowing the premium car market from 2023 to 2026 on a CAGR basis.

Note to editors

CEO Jim Rowan and CFO Johan Ekdahl will host a livestream on Volvo Cars’ Q3 2024 results for media, investors and analysts at 08:00 CEST today. The presentations will be held in English and followed by a Q&A session.

Link for livestream: https://live.volvocars.com

China-only link for livestream: https://live.volvocars.com.cn

It will be possible to ask questions during the Q&A session following the main presentation. To participate, you can either use the chat function online to type your question or you can call in. To call in, participants need to register via the link below and will then receive the dial-in details and individual PIN.

Link to register

This disclosure contains information that Volvo Car AB (publ) is obliged to make public pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation (EU nr 596/2014). The information was submitted for publication, through the agency of the contact person, on 23-10-2024 07:00 CET.

For further information please contact:

Volvo Cars Media Relations
+46 31-59 65 25
media@volvocars.com

Volvo Cars Investor Relations
John Hernander
+46 31-793 94 00
investors@volvocars.com

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

https://news.cision.com/volvo-car-ab–publ-/r/volvo-cars-reports-q3-2024-core-operating-profit-of-sek-5-7-billion,c4054839

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SOURCE Volvo Car AB (publ)

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Global AI Leader and Enterprise Transformation Visionary Zeya Ottomone Appointed Chief Executive Officer of Integrow

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Author of Empowered to Execute in the Agentic Era to Lead Next Generation of AI-Powered Enterprise Innovation

ATLANTA, July 24, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — Integrow announced the appointment of Zeya Ottomone as Chief Executive Officer, marking a significant milestone in the company’s evolution as it accelerates its vision to become a global leader in Agentic AI-powered enterprise software and business transformation.

Integrow announced the appointment of Zeya Ottomone as Chief Executive Officer, marking a significant milestone in the company’s evolution as it accelerates its vision to become a global leader in Agentic AI-powered enterprise software and business transformation.

With more than three decades of executive leadership spanning Fortune 500 enterprises, global technology organizations, and enterprise software innovation, Ottomone joins Integrow at a defining moment in the evolution of artificial intelligence.

Widely recognized for helping organizations modernize operations, simplify complex business ecosystems, and deliver measurable transformation outcomes, Ottomone has led some of the industry’s largest enterprise modernization initiatives across ERP, CRM, workforce management, cloud computing, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and intelligent automation. His appointment signals Integrow’s commitment to redefining how enterprises execute strategy in the era of autonomous AI.

“Artificial Intelligence is no longer about automation alone, it’s about empowering organizations to execute faster, make smarter decisions, and fundamentally rethink how work gets done,” said Zeya Ottomone, Chief Executive Officer of Integrow. “We’re entering the Agentic Era, where intelligent AI agents become trusted digital teammates capable of planning, reasoning, collaborating and executing alongside people. At Integrow, we’re building the enterprise platform that makes that future practical, secure and measurable for every organization.”

Ottomone is internationally recognized as a leader in enterprise technology, SaaS transformation, digital modernization and AI-enabled business strategy. Throughout his career he has held executive leadership and C-level positions with ABB, Honeywell, AmerisourceBergen, Cable & Wireless, Chicago Tribune and Rimini Street, leading global organizations through large-scale transformation initiatives across North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and the Middle East. His expertise spans enterprise applications, Salesforce ecosystems, ServiceNow, ERP modernization, customer experience, intelligent operations, data strategy, and the emerging field of Agentic AI.

Before joining Integrow, Ottomone led global SaaS Centers of Excellence focused on enterprise transformation, helping organizations modernize critical business operations while reducing technology complexity and accelerating innovation. A certified Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt and recognized executive advisor, Ottomone has consistently delivered operational excellence by combining strategic leadership with emerging technologies to create sustainable business value.

His appointment also coincides with the upcoming publication of his new book, Empowered to Execute in the Agentic Era, which explores how organizations can bridge the gap between strategy and execution by leveraging AI, empowering people, and building intelligent enterprises capable of continuous innovation. The book reflects many of the same principles that will guide Integrow’s next phase of growth: human-centered AI, intelligent automation, operational excellence, and measurable business outcomes.

Under Ottomone’s leadership, Integrow will accelerate investment across:

Agentic AIEnterprise AI PlatformsIntelligent ERPAI-powered CRMHuman Capital ManagementIT Service ManagementPredictive AnalyticsAutonomous WorkflowsEnterprise CopilotsIndustry-specific AI Solutions

The company’s vision is to deliver a unified enterprise platform where AI is embedded into every business process, enabling organizations to eliminate operational silos, automate decision-making, increase productivity, and create competitive advantage through intelligent execution. “Zeya represents exactly the type of visionary leader required for the next generation of enterprise software,” said Harvey Nicholson, Chair of Corporate Governance and Member of Integrow’s Board of Directors. “His global experience, deep understanding of enterprise technology, and forward-looking vision for Agentic AI position Integrow to become one of the industry’s most innovative AI-powered enterprise software companies.”

Wayne Gadson, Chair of Growth Strategy, added: “The future belongs to organizations that can execute strategy with intelligence, speed and confidence. Zeya has spent his career helping enterprises achieve exactly that. His appointment marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter for Integrow, our customers and our partners worldwide.” As enterprises face mounting pressure to modernize operations, reduce costs, improve workforce productivity and harness the power of artificial intelligence, Integrow is uniquely positioned to help organizations transform through a single AI-powered enterprise platform that unifies finance, operations, customer engagement, workforce management, projects and service delivery.

“Our mission is simple,” Ottomone concluded. “We don’t believe AI should replace people. We believe AI should elevate people. The organizations that will define the next decade won’t simply adopt AI—they’ll empower every employee to execute better decisions every day. That’s the future Integrow is building.”

About Integrow

Integrow is a global enterprise software company delivering next-generation AI-powered business applications built on Salesforce. The platform unifies ERP, CRM, Human Capital Management, IT Service Management, Project Management, Field Service, Finance and Operations into a single intelligent ecosystem enhanced by Agentic AI.

By embedding artificial intelligence into every workflow, Integrow enables organizations to modernize operations, accelerate innovation, improve decision-making and execute strategy with confidence.

For more information, visit www.integrow.com.

Media Contact

Media Team, Integrow, Inc., 1 855-333-4769, info@integrow.com, www.integrow.com 

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SOURCE Integrow, Inc.

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Lufax Announces Board and Management Changes

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SHANGHAI, July 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Lufax Holding Ltd (“Lufax” or the “Company”) (NYSE: LU and HKEX: 6623), a leading financial services enabler for small business owners in China, today announced changes to its board of directors and senior management, effective July 25, 2026.

Ms. Fangfang Cai (“Ms. Cai”), Mr. Shibang Guo (“Mr. Guo”) and Mr. Peifeng Li (“Mr. Li”) have resigned as non-executive directors of the Company and from their respective positions on the Board’s committees. Mr. Tongzhuan Xi (“Mr. Xi”) has resigned as an executive director, the chief financial officer and the authorised representative of the Company (“Authorised Representative”) under Rule 3.05 of the Rules Governing the Listing of Securities on The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited (“Hong Kong Listing Rules”), with effect from July 25, 2026. Each of the four directors cited personal work arrangements as the reason for their resignation and confirmed there is no disagreement with the Board and no matter relating to their departure that needs to be brought to shareholders’ attention.

The Company has begun a search for a new chief financial officer. During the transition, the CFO’s duties will be temporarily assumed by the Company’s internal team to ensure continuity of the Company’s financial functions. Mr. Xiang Ji, an executive director and the Company’s chief executive officer, has been appointed as the Authorised Representative, the Company’s designated liaison with the Stock Exchange under the Hong Kong Listing Rules, in place of Mr. Xi, with effect from July 25, 2026.

The Board has appointed Mr. Wai Kin Chim (“Mr. Chim”) as an independent non-executive director for an initial three-year term commencing July 25, 2026.

Mr. Chim, aged 65, has over 40 years of experience in international banking and extensive board experience in Asia Pacific, having worked in Hong Kong, Singapore and Beijing. He specializes in risk management and internal control, with a strong emphasis on corporate governance, credit risk, market risk and capital management.

Mr. Chim served as a loan officer at Standard Chartered Bank, Hong Kong Branch, from October 1985 to August 1988. He was then employed by Bankers Trust Company, Hong Kong Branch, as a vice president of the Asia Credit Department from September 1988 to October 1996. He subsequently served as the managing director and the chief credit officer for Deutsche Bank AG, a company listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under ticker symbol DBK, for Asia Pacific (non-Japan Asia), from October 1996 to November 2006. He joined Bank of China Limited, a company listed on the Main Board of the Stock Exchange under stock code 3988, as the chief credit officer from March 2007 to March 2015.

Mr. Chim was an independent non-executive director of Standard Chartered Bank (China) Limited from October 2015 to October 2017. He served as an independent non-executive director of HDR Global Trading Limited, owner and operator of the BitMEX digital asset trading platform, from February 2021 to February 2022. Mr. Chim served as a non-executive director of China Chengtong Hong Kong Company Limited from July 2022 to June 2025. Mr. Chim is currently an independent non-executive director of OCBC Bank (Hong Kong) Limited, since November 2017; an independent non-executive director of Banco OCBC (Macau), S.A., since August 2023; an independent non-executive director of China Intellogis Technology Co., Ltd., since June 2024; and a director of Hong Kong Dance Company Limited since June 2026.

Mr. Chim obtained a Bachelor of Science degree from the Chinese University of Hong Kong in 1983 and an MBA degree from Indiana State University, USA, in 1985. He also graduated from the Senior Executive Program at Columbia University in 2000.

In connection with these changes, with effect from July 25, 2026, Ms. Cai will step down from the Nomination and Remuneration Committee, and Mr. Koon Wing Ernest Ip has been appointed as a member to that committee. The Company’s Special Committee will comprise Mr. Dicky Peter Yip, Mr. Koon Wing Ernest Ip and Mr. Siu Hong Cheng, continuing under the chairmanship of Mr. Dicky Peter Yip, with effect from July 25, 2026.

The Board would like to take this opportunity to thank Ms. Cai, Mr. Guo, Mr. Li and Mr. Xi for their service during the tenure of their office and warmly welcome Mr. Chim to the Board.

About Lufax

Lufax is a leading financial services enabler for small business owners in China. The Company offers financing products designed principally to address the needs of small business owners. In doing so, the Company has established relationships with 85 financial institutions in China as funding partners, many of which have worked with the Company for over three years.

Investor Relations Contact

Lufax Holding Ltd
Email: Investor_Relations@lu.com

ICR, LLC
Robin Yang
Tel: +1 (646) 308-0546
Email: lufax.ir@icrinc.com

 

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SOURCE Lufax Holding Ltd

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UMD Smith School Researchers Warn AI Security Lapses Highlight Urgent Need for Independent Oversight

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COLLEGE PARK, Md., July 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — A series of recent AI security lapses—including the OpenAI–Hugging Face breach—raises a fundamental question, say a pair of researchers at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business: Can tech companies safely govern the powerful AI systems they build, or is stronger outside oversight now essential?

In its incident report, OpenAI confirmed that one of its experimental AI agents exploited a weakness in its testing environment while working on a routine benchmark task. The system wasn’t instructed to behave maliciously; instead, its persistence turned a small design flaw into a real escape. Earlier tests showed similar behavior, including agents that learned to bypass security checks by manipulating authentication tokens.

This pattern echoes findings from Dean’s Professor of Information Systems Siva Viswanathan at the Smith School, who studies how large technology platforms enforce rules. His research on mobile app privacy—published in Management Science—examined Google’s rollout of Android 6.0, which gave users more control over what data apps could collect. Developers were granted a flexible window to update their apps. Many used that flexibility to delay compliance for months, continuing to gather user data until Google imposed consequences such as lower search rankings and reduced visibility in its app store.

Viswanathan’s takeaway: when companies rely on voluntary compliance, self‑interested actors often exploit the slack. Real accountability requires pairing flexibility with firm, enforceable penalties.

That lesson now reverberates across the AI sector. As companies race to build increasingly capable systems, Viswanathan says oversight must treat these AI systems as strategic actors and must include strong safeguards that can pause or reverse a system before harm occurs.

He notes that a separate study from Anthropic underscores the stakes. In controlled tests, even an AI system designed to monitor another AI inherited the same flaws it was supposed to catch. In some cases, the “judge” model failed to flag clear sabotage because it agreed with the agent’s goals, allowing dangerous behavior to pass without human review.

Balaji Padmanabhan, Dean’s Professor of Decisions, Operations and Information Technologies and director of the Smith School’s Center for Artificial Intelligence in Business, extends Viswanathan’s governance argument into the realm of autonomous AI agents, warning that the same structural weaknesses now carry far higher stakes.

“The fact that this breach occurred organically without the AI agent being asked to be malicious is itself notable. Imagine what someone who actually intends to do harm can do. It’s also not terribly reassuring that the same firms we depend on for AI infrastructure, who are facing these issues, are the ones assuring enterprises that their systems with guardrails are perfectly safe,” says Padmanabhan. “We have to wake up to the fact that we’ve created capabilities that let software become as powerful as we want it to be—and then some. It’s time we seriously ask what’s needed to create an infrastructure to play defense well.”

Across the independent studies, the pattern is consistent, says Viswanathan: Voluntary compliance fails when the governed actor is more capable than the regulator. And AI systems cannot be governed by trust or good intentions alone. Oversight must be preventive, independent and capable of stopping harmful behavior before it spreads.

About the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business
The Robert H. Smith School of Business is an internationally recognized leader in management education and research. One of 12 colleges and schools at the University of Maryland, College Park, the Smith School offers undergraduate, full-time and flex MBA, executive MBA, online MBA, business master’s, PhD and executive education programs, as well as outreach services to the corporate community. The school offers its degree, custom and certification programs in learning locations in North America and Asia.

Contact: Greg Muraski, gmuraski@umd.edu

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SOURCE University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business

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