Katie Ovenden (Holba) serves as the Field Marketing Manager – Southern Region for Volvo Car USA based in Ridgeville, SC at the Volvo Cars’ US-based production site. In her role, Katie works cross functionally to implement Volvo’s global brand and product marketing strategy for the Southeast USA, including 13 states, 7 markets, 10 metro area advertising groups, and 100 Volvo retailers. She works closely with the Retailer network to support their volume growth opportunities and manage external agency partners to share Volvo’s brand story. Volvo Cars’ aim to provide customers with the Freedom to Move in a personal, sustainable and safe way as a next-generation mobility provider. Volvo Cars’ ambition to become a fully electric car maker by 2030 and in its commitment to an ongoing reduction of its carbon footprint, with the ambition to be a climate-neutral company by 2040. Katie held prior roles at Volvo Cars as a Digital Strategy Specialist and Business Development Analyst.
Katie came to Volvo Cars after serving as a project manager for Charleston’s metro area economic development agency, Charleston Regional Development Alliance (CRDA). There she served as advisor/consultant and project manager for domestic and international companies that were evaluating the Charleston metropolitan area as a prospective location for business investment. This position allowed her work with C-suite executives and travel both domestically and internationally to visit corporate headquarters and production facilities and participate in global trade conferences. She worked across industry sectors including: Aerospace, Automotive, Life Sciences, Information Technology, and Advanced Logistics. Katie also supported the development of Charleston’s Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) strategy, South Carolina’s Department of Commerce’s Landing Pad program for international businesses, and Global Fluency community-based initiatives.
Katie lives in Mt. Pleasant with her husband, Will, and two young daughters, Emma and Caroline. She holds a double major in Bachelor of Science in Economics and International Business Management with a minor in Global Politics from Clemson University. She is working to complete her MA in Economics at Clemson University.