2021 Canadians to Watch

CHOSEN BECAUSE:

Christopher Nabeta’s current role at Volvo is helping pave the way to a plug-in future. The automaker is steadily boosting its electrified powertrains, but customers must want to buy them.

Nabeta, 37, is working to expand buyer acceptance by integrating electric vehicles into Volvo’s fleet and rental channels. The idea is to get more drivers behind the wheel and help make the ownership process similar to that of conventional cars.

Nabeta worked in customer service and dealer retail before joining Volvo in 2020. There he has used his knowledge of customer behaviour to help tailor programs for EVs, including charging and roadside assistance. Remarketing EVs also presents issues such as vehicle valuation and consumer concerns over battery life, Nabeta said. The challenge is figuring out an EV’s future worth, and convincing buyers that the battery on a used vehicle is going to last, he said.

IN HIS OWN WORDS:

“With remarketing, I take a holistic approach in supporting the company by working with all our departments. We look at marketing, customer experience, service, facilities and financial services to build brand equity, including with electrification. Eventually, every [internal combustion vehicle] will be replaced by an electrified vehicle, and the company that understands its customers and offers the best solutions will have the lion’s share of that customer base.”