Continental reorganises top management within Tire division

A reshuffle of upper management within Continental’s Tire division took effect yesterday. The new line-up sees Christian Kötz leading the division’s Commercial Vehicle Tires business unit and his previous role of head of the Passenger and Light Truck Replacement Tires EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) taken over by Philipp von Hirschheydt. The latter’s previous position, head of Passenger and Light Truck Replacement Tires APAC (Asia Pacific), is now the responsibility of Ferdinand Hoyos.

Christian Kötz spent seven years in his prior position and also served as president of the European Tyre and Rubber Manufacturers’ Association (ETRMA) between January 2015 and December 2017. From 2006 to 2011, he was senior vice-president within Continental’s central Research and Development department in Hannover, Germany, and before that worked in several functions within the tyre maker’s original equipment car and light truck tyre business in North America and Germany.

Prior to taking on leadership of the Passenger and Light Truck Replacement Tires APAC business in April 2015, Philipp von Hirschheydt worked as chief executive officer of Continental Tire Andina in Ecuador from June 2012 to March 2015. Between 2009 and 2012 he held several positions within the company’s Fuel Supply business unit (today known as Fuel & Exhaust Management) in Germany, and before that was project manager within Continental’s Mergers & Acquisitions department.

Ferdinand Hoyos was chief executive officer of the Andina region (Venezuela, Colombia, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, and Ecuador) from February 2015 until the end of June 2018. Before that he served as head of Mergers & Acquisitions and Corporate Real Estate Management at Continental headquarters in Hannover, Germany. From 2006 to 2011, Hoyos was manager of Mergers & Acquisitions at Continental, and previously worked as a consultant in the field of strategy and corporate finance.

All three men will report directly to Nikolai Setzer, who heads up the Tire division at Continental. Dr Andreas Esser, who was previously in charge of the Commercial Vehicle Tires business unit, is now leading the Asia Pacific Truck Tire business region at Continental Commercial Vehicle Tires in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia. He will report to Christian Kötz.