Head of Advanced Development @ Continental

Leading advanced development with structure, impact and a strong focus on people. As Head of Advanced Development, I was responsible for the strategic and disciplinary leadership of global advanced development teams, covering multiple material and technology domains. I combined technical leadership, people development and structured governance to ensure reliable innovation and industrial readiness in a highly demanding, customer‑driven environment. I led international teams across regions, with responsibility for dozens of development experts worldwide, and established clear development processes, project governance and reporting structures. A key achievement of my role was the introduction and consistent application of standardized methods (e.g. project management, FMEA, DVP&R), resulting in higher transparency, improved predictability and a significantly increased maturity of development execution. Beyond process excellence, I placed strong emphasis on capability and talent development. I actively supported the growth of senior experts and future leaders, supervised a high number of internships as well as Bachelor’s and Master’s theses, and fostered a culture of accountability, learning and continuous improvement. Through close collaboration with customers, Purchasing, Quality and Manufacturing, I helped translate complex requirements into scalable, robust solutions, contributing to successful project acquisition, reduced development risks and improved time‑to‑market. This role further strengthened my ability to structure complexity, align diverse stakeholders and deliver measurable impact through clear leadership and disciplined execution.