Volvo Already Has A New CEO, Just Two Years After Bringing Back Its Old One

Klaus Zellmer will take over from Håkan Samuelsson in 2027, keeping Volvo Cars’ current strategy and leadership structure in place during the transition.

Volvo appoints Klaus Zellmer as President and CEO

Photo by: Volvo

Brian Potter

By: Brian Potter

Sep 22, at 4:47am ET

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Volvo's board named Klaus Zellmer president and CEO on September 20, 2026.
Klaus Zellmer has led Skoda Auto since 2022.
Zellmer will take over from Håkan Samuelsson no later than October 1, 2027.

Klaus Zellmer has spent 28 years climbing the Volkswagen Group ladder, and now he's leaving Skoda to run Volvo Cars. The Swedish automaker's board named him president and CEO on September 20, 2026.

Zellmer takes over from Håkan Samuelsson no later than October 1, 2027. Volvo says the handover will be gradual, with Samuelsson staying on to steady the ship until Zellmer formally steps in.

Volvo Cars Names Klaus Zellmer As Its Next CEO

Zellmer, 59, has led Skoda Auto since 2022 and built a reputation there as a margin-focused operator. Skoda posted record results in 2025, then followed up with record electric vehicle deliveries in the first half of 2026, according to Volvo Cars.

Before Skoda, Zellmer sat on the board of Volkswagen Passenger Cars, overseeing marketing, sales, and after-sales. He also spent more than 20 years at Porsche, running both Porsche Deutschland and Porsche North America along the way.

"I am delighted to join Volvo Cars at such an important moment in the company's development," Zellmer said in Volvo's announcement, pointing to the brand's safety record and design language as reasons for taking the job. Volvo Chairman Eric Li called Zellmer's mix of premium and high-volume experience "an excellent fit" for the company.

Zellmer inherits a company mid-reset. Volvo Cars is planning its largest product offensive in 99 years, with 13 new or heavily updated models due by 2030, seven for Western markets and six built specifically for China. The brand has also eased off its most aggressive all-electric targets. In a past statement it admitted "we went a bit too far into a single SUV market" and has since shifted toward a broader hybrid and EV lineup, a move that lines up with Volvo's plans to bring wagons back to the range.

Volvo EX60 (2026)

Volvo EX60 (2026)

Photo by: Volvo

Håkan Samuelsson Remains At Volvo Cars During The Handover

Samuelsson isn't new to steering Volvo through turbulence. He first ran the company from 2012 to 2022, a decade that ended with his retirement, before Volvo brought him back in April 2025 to stabilize things again.

That second stint followed a short, rocky chapter under Jim Rowan, the former Dyson chief who ran Volvo Cars from 2022 until early 2025. Samuelsson's return was framed internally as a bridge, not a long-term plan, buying the board time to find a permanent successor.

Volvo says Samuelsson will work alongside the board to ensure what it calls a seamless transition, keeping current strategy and leadership structure intact until Zellmer formally takes the wheel. Nothing about day-to-day operations changes before then.

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The CEO swap arrives as automakers across the industry reshuffle their top ranks amid slower EV demand and pricing pressure as seen with BMW's own recent CEO announcement and Mercedes-AMG's new leadership pick. Volvo has not detailed how Zellmer's arrival will reshape the executive team beyond the CEO chair itself.

Motor1's Take: Volvo is betting that Zellmer can thread a narrow needle by keeping margins healthy while funding a huge model rollout. His background at Skoda and Porsche suggests more discipline on trim, options, and pricing rather than a radical change in Volvo's product roadmap.