New Communications and Public Affairs chief at Continental’s Tires business

Starting 1 April, Silke Bernhardt has taken up the newly-created position of Head of Communications & Public Affairs within Continental’s Tires business area. She is based at the company’s headquarters in Hannover, Germany and shoulders responsibility for the strategic direction of internal and external communications. Bernhardt also manages the global communications units within Asia, North and South America, and Europe.

Prior to joining Continental, Bernhardt, who holds a degree in Political Science, held several management positions in the field of corporate communications. Her most recent role was with Tele Columbus AG, one of Germany’s leading fibre-optic cable network operators. Before that, she was global director corporate communications at Leica Camera AG, having spent the previous nine years in charge of public relations for the consumer electronics sector at Sony Deutschland.

In her new role, Silke Bernhardt reports directly to Christian Kötz, head of the Tires business.

“With this newly created position, we are aiming to respond to the ever-changing requirements facing our communications activities,” says Kötz. “This will include generating even greater transparency and more digital services for the media and the general public. In particular, we will be looking to reflect our efforts to embed sustainability into our entire value chain and our products even more prominently in our communications.”