Continental restructures management of Specialty Tires business

Musical chairs within the Continental Specialty Tires business unit, but nobody was left standing when the music stopped: Wolfgang Thomale, who heads up the entire business unit, has taken on responsibility for the associated Two-Wheel Tires segment. He picked up this additional remit on 1 January, taking over from Thomas Falke. Falke is now in charge of the Commercial Specialty Tires segment, which Thomale had led since last summer.

Continental says that this internal shift will help the business unit to “follow its chosen growth path in the associated areas of Two-Wheel Tires, Hoosier Racing Tires and, in particular, Commercial Specialty Tires.” In doing so, it will benefit from the two managers’ “wealth of experience.”

Falke can look back on seven years as head of the Two-Wheel Tires division, during which he was able to consistently build up and expand Continental’s motorcycle and bicycle tyre business. “As an expert in growth in the specialty tyre segment, he is now to expand the business with tyres for highly specialised industrial, port, construction and agricultural machinery,” comments Continental.

Before leading the freshly-merged Specialty Tires business unit, Thomale gained many years of experience in the passenger car and light truck tyre business. “With his know-how in the B2C business, he will now consistently drive growth at Two-Wheel Tires.”

Continental began developing, producing and marketing its entire range of specialty tyres under the umbrella of the Specialty Tires business unit in 2020. This portfolio includes tyres for material handling, the agricultural, port, and construction sectors, to bicycle and motorcycle tyres and tyres for racing use.