Volvo Names Former Skoda CEO Klaus Zellmer As Its Next Boss – And He Has 13 New Models to Deliver

Volvo Cars is getting a new CEO at a difficult point for the Swedish automaker. Klaus Zellmer, the former head of Skoda, will take over as president and CEO within the next 12 months.

Zellmer has more than 30 years of experience in the car industry. Before joining Volvo, he ran Skoda and previously spent five years as president and CEO of Porsche’s North American business, from 2015 to 2020. That mix of premium and mainstream experience could come in handy as Volvo works to improve its profits.

The timing is also important. Volvo will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2027 and has already laid out plans for a major expansion. The company wants to launch 13 new models by 2030, with different products and strategies for Western markets and China.

Zellmer will also have to put Volvo’s new business plan into action. The company wants to double its market share, add more hybrid models to its lineup, work more closely with Geely and make buying a Volvo simpler. That includes clearer offers and versions of popular models that can be delivered more quickly.

The change at the top was planned. Hakan Samuelsson returned as CEO in 2025, but Volvo said from the beginning that he would stay for two years while the company searched for a permanent successor. Zellmer will now take over that longer-term role.

Volvo chairman Eric Li said Zellmer’s experience across both premium and high-volume brands makes him a good fit for the company. Zellmer also pointed to Volvo’s long-standing focus on safety and its distinctive design as two of the things that attracted him to the job.

There is a lot on his plate. Volvo has a big product plan to deliver, a changing powertrain strategy to manage, and profitability to improve. Zellmer will now be responsible for turning all of those plans into actual results.