Continental Eyes Growth in Radar Sensors and Autonomous Mobility Under Dr. Ismail Dagli’s Leadership

Dr. Ismail Dagli (48) will take charge of Continental’s Autonomous Mobility business area.

(IN BRIEF) Dr. Ismail Dagli will take over leadership of Continental’s Autonomous Mobility business area, starting on October 1. He succeeds Frank Petznick, who will leave the company at the end of September. Dr. Dagli previously led Continental’s Smart Mobility business area and has a background in computer science with expertise in autonomous driving. Continental sees significant growth potential in autonomous mobility, particularly in radar sensors and parking features. The company’s partnership-focused strategy has been successful, with collaborations like Ambarella and Aurora strengthening its position in the autonomous mobility industry. Frank Petznick, who led the Advanced Driver Assistance Systems business area, had joined Continental in August 2020 after holding positions at Hella, Bertrandt AG, and Volkswagen AG. Continental remains committed to advancing innovation in autonomous mobility under Dr. Dagli’s leadership.

(PRESS RELEASE) FRANKFURT AM MAIN, 20-Sep-2023 — /EuropaWire/ — Continental (ETR: CON), a German multinational automotive parts manufacturing company, is pleased to announce a strategic leadership transition in its Autonomous Mobility business area. Effective October 1, Dr. Ismail Dagli (48) will assume the role, succeeding Frank Petznick, who, by his own request, will depart from the company at the end of September.

Dr. Dagli brings a wealth of expertise to his new role. Since the start of 2022, he has served as the head of Continental’s Smart Mobility business area, overseeing operations related to mobility services, fleet operators, and commercial vehicle manufacturers within the Automotive group sector. With a background in computer science, Dr. Dagli earned his doctorate by conducting pioneering research in artificial intelligence for autonomous driving. His career commenced in 2005 when he served as a development engineer specializing in advanced driver assistance and active safety systems at Daimler. In 2008, he joined Bosch, where he held various management positions both in Germany and the United States. In 2020, Dr. Dagli joined Continental and assumed the role of head of research and development within the Advanced Driver Assistance Systems business unit. With the recent reorganization of the Automotive group sector in early 2022, this business unit was integrated into the Autonomous Mobility business area, which Dr. Dagli will now lead.

“Ismail Dagli is an internationally experienced manager with extensive market and technology expertise in automated and autonomous driving. He will forge ahead with the partner-focused business strategy of our Autonomous Mobility business area with the aim of strengthening and expanding its market position technologically and commercially,” said Philipp von Hirschheydt, member of Continental’s Executive Board and head of the Automotive group sector.

Continental recognizes substantial growth opportunities in systems and components within the autonomous mobility sector. Radar sensors, in particular, have garnered significant global interest. The company has secured confirmed orders for satellites and premium radar systems from a renowned automaker, with additional business potential stemming from parking features.

Continental’s commitment to a partner-focused strategy has been underscored by the enthusiastic response from customers for scalable, high-performance systems developed in collaboration with Continental’s partner Ambarella. Additionally, Continental’s partnership with Aurora has resulted in the Autonomous Mobility business area supplying the entire hardware kit and fallback system, reinforcing its leadership position in the autonomous mobility ecosystem.

“We would like to thank Frank Petznick, who over the past three years has helped us – through strategic partnerships with Ambarella, Horizon Robotics and Aurora – become one of the few full-range suppliers in advanced driver assistance systems and automated and autonomous driving. We wish him all the best for the future,” added von Hirschheydt.

Frank Petznick assumed the role of head of the Advanced Driver Assistance Systems business area at Continental in August 2020. With a degree in electrical engineering, he previously served as the head of the global Automated Driving Product Center as a member of the Electronics Executive Board at Hella. Before that, Mr. Petznick held positions at Bertrandt AG and Volkswagen AG.

Continental remains dedicated to driving innovation in the autonomous mobility sector and looks forward to the dynamic leadership of Dr. Ismail Dagli as he assumes his new responsibilities.

Media contacts:

Nicole Orgnon
Vice President Automotive Communications
Continental Automotive
+49 69 7603-6000
nicole.orgnon@continental.com

Sebastian Fillenberg
Head of Content, Media Spokesperson and Topic Manager Architecture and Networking
Continental Automotive
+49 69760372234
sebastian.fillenberg@continental-corporation.com

SOURCE: Continental AG