Christian Kotz has been appointed as Continental’s new CEO as the business refocuses its efforts to its core tyre business, as per an official press release dated 17th December.
Kotz has served the business in various capacities since joining in 1996, including C-level executive roles such as vice president, senior vice president, executive vice president, and member of the executive board.
The update comes after reports of the German tyre maker planning to cut up to 1,500 roles focused on the company’s Conti-tech business, which was primarily responsible for developing original manufacturing solutions such as hose systems, conveyor belts, specialised coating solutions and other services.
Kotz will be replacing Nikolai Setzer, who has been serving as CEO for the last five years and as a member of the executive board for 16 years.
“Christian Kötz is one of the most distinguished managers in the global tire industry. With his extensive experience and passion for Continental, we firmly believe he is the right choice to lead the company successfully into the future,” said Wolfgang Reitzle.
Shares of Continental were trading at 66 euros at the time of writing.
The company is currently in the midst of a turnaround effort after incurring a net loss in income of 756 million euros and estimated sales of 5 billion euros for Q3 2025.
As part of the firm’s plan to get its earnings back on track, Continental will be spinning off Aumovio—the firm’s automotive segment—and selling its Conti-tech business, which is slated to take place in 2026.