In his new role, Bartels reports directly to Christian Kötz, a member of the Executive Board of Continental and Head of Tyres. Gerd Bartels succeeds Wolfgang Thomale, recently appointed head of the Surface Solutions business area in Continental's industrial group sector.
"Gerd Bartels is a proven tyre specialist. His almost 30 years of international experience in a wide variety of roles at Continental will stand him in good stead for his new responsibilities. I wish him all the best on behalf of the entire management team," said Kötz.
Bartels joined Continental Tyres in 1994, shortly after graduating with a degree in business administration. He has acquired wide-ranging experience in Germany and abroad while with the company. He has held management positions at the plant level and in the original equipment and tire replacement businesses. He was most recently responsible for controlling the tyre replacement business for passenger and commercial vehicle tyres in the EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) region.
Continental's Specialty Tyres business area pools the company's global activities in developing, producing and selling agricultural, earth-moving and port vehicle tires and material-handling, bicycle, motorcycle and racing tires. The Vision 2030 strategy programme underscores Specialty Tyres' position as a strategic growth area within Continental Tyres.
Continental develops pioneering technologies and services for sustainable and connected mobility of people and their goods. Founded in 1871, the technology company offers safe, efficient, intelligent, and affordable solutions for vehicles, machines, traffic, and transportation. In 2022, Continental generated sales of €39.4 billion and currently employs around 200,000 people in 57 countries and markets.
Tyre solutions from the Tyres group sector make mobility safer, smarter, and more sustainable. Its premium portfolio encompasses car, truck, bus, two-wheel, speciality tyres, and smart solutions and services for fleets and tire retailers. Continental has delivered top performance for over 150 years and is one of the world's largest tire manufacturers. In fiscal 2022, the Tyres group sector generated sales of €14 billion. Continental's tire division employs 57,000 people worldwide and has 20 production and 16 development sites.
