HANOVER, Germany (Aug. 2)—Continental A.G. has identified Karl-Thomas Neumann—currently head of the Electrics and Electronics unit of Volkswagen A.G.—as its choice to succeed Wolfgang Ziebart as head of Continental Automotive Systems division, but first Neumann must clear his departure from Volkswagen.
Responsible for group-wide electronic modules at Volkswagen, Neumann will lead a Continental group with sales of more than $5.3 billion and a work force of nearly 20,000. Ziebart is leaving the company Aug. 31 to become CEO at Infineon A.G.
Neumann, 43, who has a doctorate in electrical engineering, joined Volkswagen 1999 after stints at the Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits and Systems and Motorola GmbH.
In a prepared statement, Continental said, "His superb electronics background"—especially in the high-growth mechatronics segment—"will be of significance for the challenge facing him at Continental Automotive Systems of bringing together the two fields of active and passive safety components."