Solaris welcomes new CEO of Solaris France

Solaris Bus & Coach, a leading European manufacturer of buses and trolleybuses and member of the CAF Group, welcomes Olivier Michard as the new CEO of the subsidiary Solaris France, starting on 1st June 2021.

Olivier has over 20 years of international experience in automotive industry, including 10 years living abroad (Brazil, China, Italy, Spain and UK). His career path was also related to the bus industry. He worked for Iveco France as a Business Director where he was in charge of sales, after-sales and network activities. Before joining Solaris he held the role of Business Director EMEA in ESG – Ecco Safety Group where his main tasks included reorganising all the sales processes and increasing the sales potential through customer acquisition.

“I am really excited to join the Solaris team, which has been established in France for a long time and which is leader in electromobility across Europe. I look forward to reinforcing Solaris’ position on the French Market as I am deeply convinced that we can play a major role in the French Energy Transformation programme and in particular in the public transport of green cities,” said Olivier Michard, Solaris France CEO.

“I am confident Olivier’s skill set and background will further strengthen Solaris’ reputation as a trusted business partner and provider of highest quality Solaris products and services to customers in France. I am excited to welcome Olivier to the Solaris family. I truly believe this team reinforcement will guarantee further dynamic growth for Solaris in France,” declared Petros Spinaris, Deputy CEO of Solaris Bus & Coach for Sales, Marketing and After Sales.

Solaris Bus & Coach sp. z o.o. is one of the leading European bus and trolleybus manufacturers. Benefiting from 25 years of experience and having manufactured over 20,000 vehicles delivered to 32 countries, Solaris affects the quality of city transport in hundreds of cities across Europe every day. Thinking of the future, the firm is setting new standards by dynamically developing its products, in particular in the electromobility sector.

Solaris offers low- and zero-emission buses for city and intercity public transport which most of all are hybrid buses, battery buses and recently developed hydrogen buses. In 2020 Solaris was the largest European manufacturer of electric buses holding a 20% market shares.

“We are investing not only in the development of our team in France, but also in our aftersales, spare parts and maintenance resources. France is one of the largest city bus markets in Europe, and I am convinced that our product mix coupled with our fantastic team, will help many French operators with the transition towards low- and zero-emission public transport of the future”, added Petros Spinaris.

Solaris made its corporate debut on the French market in 2003. Since then, it has supplied over five hundred buses to operators at the Seine river. These were both conventionally and alternatively powered vehicles, including hybrid buses, battery buses and trolleybuses.

Solaris has been awarded numerous times for its activities and innovative products both in Poland and abroad, having won among others the prestigious Bus of the Year 2017 title for its eco-friendly Urbino 12 electric bus, or the title of “Global E-mobility Leader 2020” for its contribution to the development of zero-emission transport in the world.