Conti names ex-Hella exec Frank Petznick as head of ADAS

Frank Petznick (49) will take over the management of Continental AG’s Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) business unit and become a member of the Management Board of the Autonomous Mobility and Safety business area on 1 August 2020.

The electrical engineering graduate will follow Karl Haupt (63), who is leaving the company on 31 July 2020 after almost seven years at the helm of the business unit and over 36 years of company service. Petznick, who joined the technology company on 1 July, has many years of experience in both the automotive and automotive supplier industries. Most recently as a member of the Electronics Executive Board at Hella, he was responsible for the global Automated Driving Product Center.

He started his career in 1998 at Volkswagen as a project manager and later as a project leader for electronic systems. In 2003, he moved to development service provider Bertrandt, where he worked for five years in various management positions in the field of electronics and infotainment. From 2008 onwards, Petznick held managerial roles at Hella on a regional and global basis, located in Shanghai (China) and Berlin. The new head of the business unit will bring many years of experience with innovative, new technologies in the fields of electronics and sensor technology to Continental. In his role, Frank Petznick reports to Frank Jourdan, Member of the Executive Board of Continental AG and Head of the Autonomous Mobility and Safety business area.

“I am delighted that, with Frank Petznick, we have been able to gain an experienced manager in the field of advanced driver assistance systems and automated driving, who along with his team will continue his predecessor’s successful work and continue to drive forward our ambitious growth plans,” says Frank Jourdan. “At the same time, we would like to sincerely thank Karl Haupt for his outstanding contributions and achievements and wish him all the best for the future.”

Conti reported sales of 2 billion euros in 2019, putting the company in a leading position in the field of assisted driving.