While much of Europe’s automotive industry has come under intense pressure, Škoda Auto delivered record results in 2025, generating €30.1 billion in revenue, €2.5 billion in operating profit, and 1,043,900 vehicles delivered worldwide. The company also strengthened its position in Europe, rising from the 10th best-selling brand in Europe in 2022 to No. 3 in 2025, and then reaching No. 2 in Q1 2026. This is not just a recovery story, but a story of sustained market share gains, disciplined execution, and accelerating brand momentum.

Since becoming CEO in 2022, Klaus Zellmer has guided Škoda Auto through one of the most turbulent periods the sector has seen. Under his leadership, the company has combined cost discipline, product renewal, and international expansion to turn disruption into competitive advantage. Zellmer brings a rare breadth of perspective to the role. At Porsche, he helped drive demand in key European markets and later led Porsche Cars North America as President and CEO. At Volkswagen, he was responsible for Sales, Marketing and After Sales worldwide, helping shape the brand’s customer-centric transformation and its push toward digitalization and sustainability. As CEO of Škoda Auto, he is applying that experience in a fiercely competitive landscape: facing new Asian challengers, managing the shift toward electric mobility while maintaining balance across powertrains, and expanding the brand’s footprint in markets such as India and South-East Asia. Škoda’s rise from 10th to 3rd to 2nd place in Europe ranking underscores the strength of that strategy.

At the European Economic Forum, Klaus Zellmer offers a compelling case study of a European manufacturer that has not merely adapted to global disruption, but turned it to its advantage.