Continental is reorganising the passenger and truck tyres replacement businesses in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa under the leadership of Philipp von Hirschheydt, former head of the passenger tyres replacement business in the EMEA region. In order to allow greater customer centricity while increasing the overall efficiency of the organisations, the passenger and truck businesses have now been merged into a single overarching business unit. The transformation of the business units had started on January 1, 2020. The new organisation became effective on July 1, 2020.
Continental Completes Reorganisation
As of now, the sales of passenger car, van and truck tyres will be managed in an integrated manner in the new ‘Replacement Tires EMEA’ business unit. Instead of product categories, the new joint organisation is structured primarily according to customer groups, such as major international key accounts, fleet customers, OEM after-sales customers, or customers in emerging markets, who will be comprehensively served according to their individual needs by dedicated specialist departments. Additionally, the merging of previously separate central functions, including the marketing and e-business departments, ensures greater synergy. One particular objective is ensuring that digital structures to optimise and personalise the customer experience are developed more quickly and effectively.
“The completion of the re-organisation measures marks a milestone for us. We have consistently looked ahead and organised ourselves closely in line with current and future needs of our customers – from local retail, wholesale and commercial tyre dealerships to international key accounts, fleet customers and OEM after-sales customers. This will allow us to serve all our customers with our products, services, and solutions as well as at every other touch point in an optimal way and strengthen our market position in the different countries and in the entire region. The merger will make us even more efficient and allow us to connect know how from previously separate entities and utilise it for the benefit of our customers,” says Philipp von Hirschheydt, head of the Replacement Tires EMEA business.
Constantin Batsch, former head of the truck tyres replacement business in the EMEA region, will be responsible for managing the Fleet Solutions department as well as overall tyre sales in Northern and Eastern Europe in the new organisation. Ralf Benack, former head of the truck fleet business, will be responsible for the strategic management and orientation of the specialist department for truck, passenger car, and van fleet customers.
Roland Welzbacher will be managing sales in Southern Europe and the OEM after-sales department in the new structure. Frauke Wieckberg will be responsible for the strategic management of the OEM after-sales department, which focuses on customers from the car dealership and truck trading branches.
From September 1, Jürgen Marth, currently head of the ContiTrade distribution network, will be responsible for regional sales in Central Europe and the international key account business. The latter he will gradually take over from Wolfgang Thomale, who has assumed responsibility for the new ‘Specialty Tires’ business unit. On July 1, the former business units ‘Commercial Specialty Tires’ (specialty tyres for commercial use), ‘Two Wheel Tires (‘bicycle and motorcycle tyres) and ‘Hoosier Racing Tire’ (racing tyres) were merged in the business unit ‘Specialty Tires’.
The head of the department for major international customers is long-standing key account manager Benoit Henry.
Jon-Ander Garcia will continue to manage and develop regional sales in emerging markets in the Middle East and Africa as well as in Turkey and Russia.
The former head of the ‘Commercial Specialty Tires’ business unit, Enno Straten, will assume overall responsibility for the areas strategy, analytics and marketing in the new business unit ‘Replacement Tires EMEA’.
