Continental reorganises Public Affairs Department

Continental is consolidating its public affairs and external affairs activities under its Group Public Affairs department. Dr Thorsten Burger (43), previously head of external affairs, has become the new department’s head, also overseeing Conti’s Berlin political office.

Birgit Hiller, head of Group Communications and Public Affairs at Continental, explained that pooling its “communication efforts with political and regulatory decision-makers” would help the firm “to have a more intensive dialogue while also achieving significant synergies.”

The previous head of Continental’s Berlin political office, Harry Rogasch (60), has left the company at his own request for personal reasons. “Harry Rogasch has done an excellent job in setting up the political office in Berlin, which opened in 2013, and has continuously expanded our political relations there. We would like to thank him for his support and wish him all the best for the future,” says Hiller. “A trusting as well as transparent dialogue with political decision-makers, government offices and public authorities is important to us. We are therefore delighted that Thorsten Burger will now be coordinating all public affairs activities and representing our interests in Berlin.”

Burger has been employed at Continental since 2014. He initially managed strategy and communication within Continental’s Advanced Engineering department before assuming

responsibility for the External Affairs department in 2020, where he oversaw a wide variety of government-sponsored projects worldwide. Before joining Continental, the doctor of economic history worked in the public sector and for a management consultancy. He is involved in various European industry policy initiatives and public-private partnerships.