Selwyn Cooper, former head of business sales at Volvo, has been appointed head of its financial services division with immediate effect.

Cooper, who has worked at Volvo for more than 20 years, will be responsible for the management and delivery of the expanding range of finance and insurance products offered by Volvo in the UK.

Volvo sold nearly 47,000 cars in the UK in 2016 – its highest annual sales figure for 25 years - and this growth has coincided with a change in how customers finance their cars, according to the manufacturer.

It said that the 'sophistication and range of customer requirements' have 'altered significantly' in recent years so Volvo Car Financial Services has to develop and deliver solutions to match these needs. These include retail, wholesale and business-user financial service solutions, along with associated products such as insurance.

Commenting on his appointment, Cooper said: “I’m thrilled to be heading up the Financial Services division, especially at a time of such positivity for Volvo in the UK. Our ambitious growth targets require a fully integrated approach to products and services, which will enable us to develop the premium financial, insurance and associated solutions to suit our increasingly sophisticated customer base.”

David Baddeley, operations director at Volvo Car UK, said: “Selwyn has the perfect balance of finance house experience and a deep understanding of both our retail and business sales operations required for this role. His knowledge and expertise will be invaluable in ensuring that we have a range of finance products and services to meet the changing customer requirements.”

A replacement for Cooper is currently being recruited and will be announced in due course.