Klaus Zellmer is to become the boss of Volvo by Skoda’s chief.
Klaus Zellmer (59), the current Skoda chief, will become the new president and CEO of Volvo Cars by October 2027 at the latest. He will replace Håkan Samuelsson, who is already 75 years old, and who announced a few days ago that he does not want to work full-time after his contract ends in April 2027.
Klaus Zellmer to Become New Volvo Chief
Image: Volvo Cars
Essentially, this appointment follows exactly what Volvo Cars announced in March 2025 when Håkan Samuelsson was appointed CEO: the Swede, who had already been Volvo’s CEO from 2012 to 2022, was meant to temporarily lead the company for about two years until a permanent new CEO could be found.
The Swedish heritage brand, which has been part of the Chinese Geely auto group since 2010, has now found its new CEO in Klaus Zellmer. He has been the head of Volkswagen’s Czech subsidiary, Skoda, since 2022 and previously served as the brand’s sales executive. At the same time, he brings extensive experience in the premium segment, as Klaus Zellmer worked at Porsche in various roles from 1997 to 2020, spending most of his career there.
"Klaus Zellmer combines deep expertise in the automotive industry with extensive international leadership experience and a remarkable track record of guiding companies through transformation processes and changing market conditions," says Li Shufu, founder of Geely and chairman of Volvo’s board of directors. "His experience in both premium segments and mass-market brands aligns perfectly with Volvo Cars. The board is confident that under Klaus Zellmer’s leadership, Volvo Cars will build on its strong foundations and embark on the next chapter with the clear goal of further strengthening its position as a leading premium automaker."
Klaus Zellmer praises Volvo’s design and brand identity
Klaus Zellmer himself says, “I am very pleased to join Volvo Cars at such an important moment in its development. Few automotive brands have built a reputation for safety that is so strong and consistent, and they have consistently upheld this core value across the entire mobility sector. I admire Volvo Cars’ timeless, modern design language and the clarity of its brand identity. The company has a solid foundation and an experienced team, and I look forward to building on these strengths together with my colleagues at Volvo Cars.”
After nearly 100 years in the market, Volvo Cars’ ability to reinvent itself repeatedly is both an impressive achievement and a constant challenge, said Klaus Zellmer. He added, “I look forward to contributing to the company’s further development and working with you to shape the next chapter.”
Zellmer probably would have liked to become Porsche’s CEO.
Klaus Zellmer’s departure from the VW group after nearly 30 years may indicate that his further career path there is blocked. Previously, for months he was considered a strong candidate to succeed Oliver Blume as Porsche’s CEO by various media outlets such as “Bild,” “Handelsblatt,” and later “Wirtschaftswoche.” However, the fact that it was the external candidate Michael Leiters who was appointed to this position last fall rather than him could explain his resignation and suggest a sense of frustration.
At Volvo Cars, Klaus Zellmer is now expected to take charge of a major corporate restructuring. The company recently failed to meet its profitability targets and experienced a decline in sales in China. Volvo Cars plans to introduce 13 new models by the end of this decade, seven for western markets and six for China. These models must not fail in any case. Volvo aims to double its market share in electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids through this effort. Just last week, the Swedes unveiled their first “Long Range Plug-in Hybrids” with a range of up to 200 kilometers on electric power alone.
Håkan Samuelsson caused his successor to have to be announced publicly soon after making a statement at the Volvo Strategy Day last Thursday. When asked by an analyst from Nordea Bank, he said he did not plan to work full-time anymore after his contract expires next April.
New Germany head also named
Meanwhile, there is a change at the top of Volvo in Germany as well: Herrik van der Gaag, CEO of Volvo Car Germany GmbH and Volvo Cars Netherlands as well as Head of Central Europe, has decided to leave the company after more than eight years. His successor at the head of Volvo in Germany will be René Müller starting October 1, 2026. The current Director of Commercial Operations at Volvo in Germany previously served as Chief Operating Officer for Smart Europe.