Following the decision of the CAF Group and Supervisory Board of Solaris, starting from January 1st 2023, Javier Iriarte will become the new Chief Executive Officer of Solaris Bus & Coach.
Javier Iriarte has been the Vice-Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Solaris since 2018, as well as the responsible for strategic development and transformation of Solaris. From the beginning of 2023 he will take over the position of CEO.
Javier Iriarte has a broad business experience in the public transportation sector. He has been the Director for Strategy & Transformation of CAF Rolling Stock since 2020. Previously, he worked at McKinsey & Company across many industries, including automotive, advanced electronics, aerospace, shipbuilding and rolling stock. He holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from IESE Business School (Barcelona) and UC Berkeley (California), and a M.Sc. in Industrial Engineering from TECNUN – Universidad de Navarra (Donostia - San Sebastian) and University of Washington (Seattle, Washington).
“It is a great honour for me to lead and serve this fantastic company which Solaris is. I want to thank the members of the Supervisory Board and the CAF Group for the trust that they have placed in me. The company is entering a new chapter. Over last few years we have done tremendous transformation towards being leader of e-mobility in urban transportation in Europe. I am fully convinced that working together with our teams we are going to successfully continue the growth path of our company, maintaining Solaris and the CAF Group as a reference in the sustainable urban transportation industry, where it belongs” – said Javier Iriarte, new CEO of Solaris Bus & Coach.
Javier Calleja, who has been managing Solaris since October 2018, has decided to leave Solaris for personal reasons after successfully accomplishing the first strategic cycle of Solaris as part of the CAF Group, and he will continue his career in another industry.
“It was a fantastic time for me to be here as a CEO of great company which Solaris and lead our fantastic teams, which are one of the greatest assets of this organisation. I am sure Solaris, led by Javier Iriarte and as part of the CAF Group, will continue its further dynamic development and growth in the mobility industry. A bright future is ahead of the company” – said Javier Calleja.
Information Solaris
Solaris Bus & Coach sp. z o.o. is a leading producer of city and intercity buses in Europe. It focuses on the development of low-emission and zero-emission vehicles, i. e. electric and hydrogen buses as well as trolleybuses. Over 25,000 Solaris vehicles have been delivered so far and they ply the streets in 850 towns and cities across 33 countries located throughout Europe as well as beyond it. Solaris is part of the Spanish CAF Group (Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles) S.A. From conception, to the design and manufacturing phases, all Solaris buses are produced in Poland. All activities undertaken by the company are in line with its mission, which is reflected in the brand’s promise: to change the image of public transport. Solaris also actively partners with public transport operators and provides them with comprehensive support in their transition to zero-emission mobility. Solaris products have been repeatedly awarded for quality and innovation. The Urbino 18 hydrogen bus has won the prestigious 'Bus of the Year 2025' title.
Additional information
Mateusz Figaszewski
Institutional Partnerships and External Relations Director
mateusz.figaszewski@solarisbus.com
