Volvo Cars appoints Klaus Zellmer as president and CEO from October 2027

Gothenburg: Volvo Cars has appointed Klaus Zellmer as its next president and chief executive officer, with the automotive executive set to assume the role no later than 1 October 2027.

Zellmer will succeed Håkan Samuelsson, who has led Volvo Cars since returning to the company in April 2025. Samuelsson previously served as CEO from 2012 to 2022. He will work with the board to ensure a smooth transition before Zellmer takes charge.

Zellmer brings more than 30 years of experience in the automotive industry and currently serves as chairman of the board of management and CEO of Škoda Auto.

Under his leadership, Škoda has delivered record results and continued to expand its electric vehicle business. The company recorded record deliveries of electric vehicles in the first half of 2026, following strong performance in 2025.

Eric Li, chairman, Volvo Cars, said Zellmer’s combination of automotive expertise and international leadership experience made him a strong fit for the company’s next phase.

“Klaus Zellmer combines deep automotive expertise with broad international leadership experience and a strong record of guiding organisations through transformation and changing market conditions,” Li said.

Li added that Zellmer’s experience across premium and high-volume automotive brands would support Volvo Cars as it seeks to strengthen its position in the premium car market.

Zellmer said he was looking forward to joining Volvo Cars at an important stage in its development, highlighting the brand’s longstanding reputation for safety and its design identity.

“I am delighted to join Volvo Cars at such an important moment in the company’s development,” Zellmer said. “Few automotive brands have built such a strong and lasting reputation for safety, consistently applying this core value across the mobility sector.”

He also praised Volvo Cars’ ability to reinvent itself over its nearly 100-year history, saying he looked forward to working with its teams to build on the company’s existing strengths.

Before taking charge of Škoda, Zellmer was a member of the board of management of Volkswagen Passenger Cars, where he was responsible for marketing, sales and after-sales.

He spent more than two decades at Porsche, holding several senior positions including CEO of Porsche Deutschland and CEO of Porsche North America.

Zellmer began his professional career in the automotive sector after graduating in business administration. From 1994, he spent three years at the Institute for Automotive Economics at Nürtingen-Geislingen University of Applied Sciences.

Samuelsson’s latest tenure at Volvo Cars began in April 2025, when he returned to help develop the company’s strategic roadmap during a challenging period for the global automotive industry. Volvo Cars said he has provided stability during the transition while preparing for a long-term successor.

The leadership change sets up a planned handover at Volvo Cars, with Zellmer bringing experience spanning premium vehicles, mass-market brands, sales, marketing, technology and large-scale business transformation.