The KODA AUTO Petr Olc has been named the Director of Sales & Marketing of KODA AUTO India by Volkswagen India Private Limited (SAVWIPL), which oversees the India market for the five Volkswagen Group brands – KODA, Volkswagen, Audi, Porsche, and Lamborghini. Zac Hollis will be replaced by Petr Olc in a different position within the Volkswagen Group.
Petr Olc, the Head of the KODA division at Volkswagen Group Russia, is relocating to India. Petr Olc, who has a demonstrated track record of over 17 years working globally with the KODA brand within the Volkswagen Group, will be in charge of accelerating KODA’s growth in India, a crucial market in the Group’s strategy for international expansion. On September 1, 2022, Petr Olc will assume chagrge of his new responsibilities. Zac Hollis will be employed by KODA AUTO India through September 30, 2022.
Piyush Arora, Managing Director, ŠKODA AUTO Volkswagen India Private Limited, said, “As we witness our best growth this year, India is cementing its place as a focus market for the Group. We continue to strengthen the ŠKODA AUTO India team to further enhance our performance. Petr Šolc comes to us with great experience within the Group, and I am confident that he will play a pivotal role in capitalizing on the tremendous growth opportunities in the region. I would like to thank Zac Hollis for creating a solid base for ŠKODA AUTO India during his tenure. I wish him all the best for his future endeavour.”
Christian Cahn von Seelen, Executive Director – Sales & Marketing, ŠKODA AUTO Volkswagen India Private Limited added, “Petr Šolc has been deeply involved in ŠKODA’s global growth for almost two decades, and he will be an important addition to our dynamic team. I look forward to working with him to further expand ŠKODA’s reach in India and broaden ŠKODA AUTO’s product range here. I would like to thank Zac Hollis for his outstanding contribution to ensuring the success of the Group’s INDIA 2.0 programme. Under his leadership, ŠKODA AUTO India grew into new dimensions and witnessed its best half-year ever in 2022.”
After graduating from the Technical University in Liberec with a master’s degree in economics, Petr Šolc began his career at ŠKODA AUTO in 2005, initially in the Central European Sales department. After holding various sales managerial positions in the Northern Europe region, he moved to Volkswagen Group UK in 2013, where he was responsible for the ŠKODA brand’s sales planning and supply. In 2016, he returned to ŠKODA AUTO headquarters, where he became Head of Sales for the Eastern Europe region. Over the past five years, he has managed the Sales activities in the Overseas region and taken significant steps towards developing the ŠKODA brand in markets such as India, Australia, North Africa, and New Zealand.
SAVWIPL recorded its highest-ever H1 sales in India with 52,698 units sold from January to June 2022. Through the first six months of 2022, SAVWIPL’s sales were up 200 percent year-on-year. The Group launched ten models during this period and plans to continue ramping up its product portfolio in the year ahead.
Over the last six months, the ŠKODA brand has expanded its product portfolio to include the ŠKODA SLAVIA, which has revitalised the mid-sized sedan segment, the ŠKODA KODIAQ Facelift and ŠKODA KUSHAQ Monte Carlo in the Indian market. Having sold 28,876 cars in H1 2022, ŠKODA AUTO India is on the path to achieving its biggest sales year to date.
