Upon his appointment as FIA President in 2021, among Mohammed Ben Sulayem‘s goals were to restructure the organisation such as adding a new position for Chief Executive Officer. This was realised on Thursday with the addition of Natalie Robyn, an American who most recently served as the CEO of Volvo Car Switzerland.
“The appointment of Natalie Robyn as our first ever CEO is a transformative moment for our Federation,” said Sulayem. “Her extensive experience and leadership will be crucial to improving our finances, governance and operations. She has a proven track record of delivering diversification and growth, as well as developing executive leadership capabilities which will be an extremely valuable asset to the FIA and our members and I welcome her to the team.”
After working for Bank of America and Delphi, Robyn entered the automotive industry with DaimlerChrysler in 2005 as an international management associate. She remained with the company (which eventually became Daimler AG, now Mercedes-Benz Group) through 2012, with her last role being as a senior manager of sales operation in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA).
She relocated to Switzerland to become the regional director of sales for Nissan in 2012. Three years later, she was named the International Vice President of Volvo’s EMEA department.
In January 2017, she was elevated to CEO of Volvo’s Swiss branch.
“I am delighted to be appointed the first ever CEO of the FIA at such an important and exciting time for the Federation,” commented Robyn. “I look forward to working with Members, the senior leadership team and the President to deliver their vision of reform and growth with the involvement of all staff.”
The hunt for a new CEO began in February, led by three divisions: a “CEO Recruitment Working Group” and “Governance Review Working Group” overseen by Royal Automobile Club of Spain head Carmelo Sanz de Barros, and a “Financial Review Working Group” chaired by FIA deputy presidents Robert Reid and Tim Shearman. The FIA’s World Motor Sport Council and World Council for Automobile Mobility and Tourism both contributed members to the search groups including Vice President Fabiana Ecclestone.
