Esser to manage Conti's commercial tyres unit

ERJ staff report (TB)

Tire Business staff report

Hanover, Germany -- Continental AG has named Andreas Esser, currently responsible for Conti's consumer tyre business in the Asia/Pacific region, to lead the firm's commercial vehicle tyres business unit globally, effective 1 Jan.

Esser, 52, will take the reins for this business from Nikolai Setzer, the top executive at Conti's tire division who has been managing the consumer tire unit since August, when the company put the two divisions under Setzer's direction.

Mr. Esser, who holds a PhD in chemistry, began his career at Conti in 1989 in research and development. After a range of management posts in tire development, quality management and OEM business in Europe, he gained experience abroad at Continental's North American headquarters in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Then he was in charge of global car tire OEM business for six years before moving to the Asia headquarters in Shanghai, where he was responsible for consumer and commercial tyre businesses for Asia/Pacific for three years.

Following the merger of the passenger car tyre and commercial vehicle tyre divisions into a single Tire Division, Setzer is managing the Commercial Vehicle Tires business unit until Esser takes over on 1 Jan.

“Andreas Esser…knows both the industry and our product portfolio very well,” Setzer said. “After five years in a management position in Shanghai, he also brings along experience from one of the most important growth regions to his new task. Furthermore China…is the world's largest commercial vehicle tyre market.”

Setzer took responsibility for the commercial tyre business 31 July after the departure of Hans-Joachim Nikolin, who had headed the division since 1999.

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Article from Tire Business (a Crain publication)