Scania Australia has appointed Niklas Walter as its new Head of Bus & Coach and Power Solutions, with the experienced executive returning to Australia after several years at Scania’s global headquarters in Södertälje, Sweden.
Walter most recently served as Bus and Coach Head of Sales for the Africa, Asia, Middle East and Oceania regions. He brings 14 years’ experience with the brand, having started as a trainee in truck production before moving into Bus & Coach sales roles and later holding positions as Group Manager Production and Process Engineer.
He holds Masters degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Technology Management from Lund University in Sweden.
This is not his first stint in the local market. During 2017–2018, Walter was seconded to Scania Australia to work on a customer relationship management development project.
“I am very excited to return to Australia not only to join Scania here but also because the culture, lifestyle and the transport industry in Australia is very close to my heart. This is also a logical move for me, to broaden my business experience, and get closer to our customers,” Walter said.
He noted that his previous head office role focused largely on regional sales strategy and acting as the interface between factory and distributors. In Australia, the emphasis will shift more directly to customer relationships and understanding purchasing motivations.
“Being really close to the customer and having a better understanding of their business brings far clearer insights for us to reflect back to the factory, thus influencing our future strategy and direction,” he said.
Walter described the local Bus & Coach and Power Solutions teams as professional and enthusiastic, pointing to the company’s established workshop network and longstanding operator relationships across the country.
“We are a stable business, our customers know they can rely on us, and that we are well set-up to assist our them achieve maximum uptime, thanks to a well-established network of service workshops across the country in addition to our company-owned branches,” he said.
He also highlighted the breadth of Scania’s product portfolio, including renewable fuel solutions and battery-electric buses currently being delivered in South Australia.
“I am particularly excited to be starting at Scania Australia now given that we have some very exciting new products on the way that will further cement our position in the market and give us the opportunity to grow our footprint, both in the Bus & Coach and the Power Solutions sectors,” Walter said.
