oncessions from the government that may not be available to other companies.
AB Volvo also has a strong international presence which has helped it attain its current size. Currently, much of the company's revenue comes from overseas, with the result that it has formed alliances with other foreign companies that can help it in the future. This international presence can be used to gain entry into additional markets, such as using its contacts for automobiles in one country to enter the truck or bus market in that nation.
Pehr Gyllenhammar, AB Volvo's CEO, is the driving force behind the company's strategic direction. As CEO, Gyllenhammar sets the tone for the entire company, and as the leader of one of Sweden's most successful companies, he has an influence over the direction of domestic policy, as well. His forceful personality, and his personal conflict with the head of another powerful Swedish organization (Peter Wallenberg), has had direct effects both on AB Volvo and also on the Swedish economy as a whole. Because of the feud between Wallenberg and Gyllenhammar, the chairmanship of Sweden's largest commercial bank went to neither of these men, but to a third individual, Curt Olsson. Being chairman of the bank would have been of great strategic benefit to either Wallenberg's or Gyllenhammar's own business interests.
Gyllenhammar's strong personality is therefore a double-edged sword insofar as AB Volvo is concerned. On the one hand, he is able to use his influence to gain favorable government rulings and concessions; on the other hand, he can make formidable enemies both at home and abroad. Because he has replaced uncooperative directors with hand-chosen individuals in the past, it is also likely that he will face less opposition in imposing his will i
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