Continental names Soussan as Supervisory Board chair

German tyre manufacturer Continental has elected Sabrina Soussan as chair of its Supervisory Board, with the new chair succeeding Wolfgang Reitzle who stepped down after more than 16 years on the board. The Supervisory Board has separately extended Chief Executive Christian Kötz’s appointment by three years ahead of schedule, until March 2030.

Soussan, 56, brings more than 25 years of experience in the automotive and transportation industries, with previous roles including Chief Executive of Siemens Mobility and most recently Chief Executive and Chair of French utilities group Suez. She joined the Continental Supervisory Board in September 2025.

In a statement on the chief executive’s renewed mandate, Soussan said: “Christian Kötz took the Tires group sector from strength to strength, despite a challenging market environment, and has been instrumental in shaping Continental’s strategic realignment as a focused tire manufacturer. The Supervisory Board is firmly behind him and his Executive Board team.”

Kötz has been Chief Executive of Continental since 1 January 2026 and a member of the Executive Board since 2019, having held various roles in the company’s tyre business since 1996. The personnel moves come as Continental refocuses as a pure-play tyre manufacturer following the spin-off of its powertrain unit Aumovio last year.

Source: Continental