Head of Advanced Development (PVC, PUR, Lack, Textilien) @ Continental

Leading multidisciplinary advanced development across materials, processes and people. As Head of Advanced Development, I was responsible for the strategic and disciplinary leadership of advanced development teams covering PVC, PUR, coatings (lacquer) and textile technologies. The role combined deep technical leadership, people management and structured development governance in a highly complex, customer‑driven environment. I led international and cross‑functional teams along the entire development lifecycle—from early concept and material formulation to industrialization readiness—while ensuring methodological consistency, transparency and quality. This included the introduction and application of structured methods such as project management frameworks, FMEA, DVP&R and standardized reporting. A key focus of my role was building capabilities and developing people: supervising numerous internships and academic theses, establishing common development standards and fostering a culture of accountability, learning and continuous improvement. Close collaboration with customers and partners was an integral part of the role, supporting innovation, problem solving and project acquisition. Through this role, I strengthened my ability to structure complexity, align diverse stakeholders and translate technical challenges into scalable solutions—capabilities that later formed the foundation for global leadership, governance and digital transformation roles.