Skoda’s Charismatic India Head Zac Hollis Will Be Missed

• Zac Hollis became the Director of Sales, Services and Marketing in November 2018. 

• He oversaw the India 2.0 project that gave us the Kushaq and Slavia among other models. 

• He was also known for his personal interactions with customers and Skoda fans on social media. 

• Skoda’s future plans for India, including upcoming EVs, are yet to be revealed. 

• Globally, the brand has an electric SUV and all-new Kodiaq and Octavia in the pipeline. 

Skoda India’s Zac Hollis, has stepped down from his position as Brand Director to make way for the new India head, Petr Šolc. Hollis stood out among automotive executives as an approachable and charismatic visionary who turned the carmaker’s fortunes in India with the right strategy and products. 

Our friend and Skoda head Zac Hollis will be missed, and here’s why. 

Zac Hollis’s legacy at Skoda India 

At the time that Hollis took over as the Director – Sales, Service and Marketing at Skoda Auto India in November 2018, the carmaker had been facing a tough time and poised to reinvent itself. Its singular mass-market model (the Rapid) was growing long in the tooth and carmakers such as Hyundai and Maruti were scurrying ahead with newer, better equipped sedans and affordable SUVs. 

Zac Hollis (left) with ex-Managing Director Gurpratap Boparai (right)

It wasn’t far-fetched to think Skoda would eventually quit the Indian market, like other premium brands before it. But Hollis, alongside then Managing Director Gurpratap Boparai, took the leap with the India 2.0 strategy, under which a localised version of the Volkswagen Group’s MQB A0 small car platform was developed. 

Then came the latest-generation Skoda Octavia, the  Karoq imported in limited numbers, and the new Kodiaq. These were followed by Skoda’s big bets on the Indian market, the MQB A0 IN models, Kushaq and Slavia. They are the most affordable cars in Skoda’s lineup, offering VW’s enthusiast-friendly 1-litre and 1.5-litre TSI turbo petrol engines. 

Under Zac Hollis, Skoda has braved supply chain issues, the global pandemic and several other problems in the past few years to continue to deliver on the India 2.0 project. Moreover, his interactions with the car community weren’t limited to occasional media briefings and interviews.

He personally responded to queries about the company’s cars and operations on social media, liberally handing out his official email address to anyone who approached him. 

What’s next for Skoda?

Petr Šolc has his work cut out at Skoda India, as the carmaker gears up to introduce its first EV, the Enyaq iV. The Czech carmaker has more electric vehicles (EVs) and new generations of the Kodiaq and Octavia in the works overseas. 

Thanks for the introduction, @Zac_Hollis_. I am absolutely delighted to be here in India, and am looking forward to lead the next phase of ŠKODA’s journey in the Indian market. And explore Incredible India!

— Petr Šolc (@PetrSolc_) September 25, 2022

Also read: 

• Catching Up With Zac Hollis, Skoda India’s Director Of Sales And Marketing

• Skoda Revamps Brand Identity, Reveals New Logo, Design Language With The Vision 7S Concept

• Kia EV6-rivalling Skoda Enyaq iV Spotted Testing In India For The First Time

We are excited to hear from the new Brand Director about Skoda’s upcoming plans for the Indian market. We wish him the best of luck and eagerly wait to see how the carmaker’s new brand identity and global plans align with its operations in India. 

Image source: Twitter