Andreas Gerstenberger, executive vice president of PLT replacement sales and marketing for Continental Tire North America Inc. (CTNA), has accepted the position of executive vice president of Continental AG's European tire trading company, ContiTrade. He will be replaced by Bill Caldwell, who heads up CTNA’s original equipment passenger and light truck tire business.
Gerstenberger will report to Dr. Hartmut Wöhler, the man in charge of the European and African Replacement Business for passenger and light truck tires, beginning Aug. 1, 2009. ContiTrade has more than 2,000 retail and franchise outlets in 12 European countries.
"Andreas Gerstenberger has played a pivotal role in building an excellent marketing and sales team that contributed significantly to the turnaround of our North American operations,” says Matthias Schönberg, CEO of CTNA and Continental Tire The Americas. “Developing and executing a consistent strategy, exiting unprofitable businesses, revamping the product portfolio of the Continental and General tire brands, as well as the launch of exciting consumer promotions and significant growth of the retail footprint, contributed remarkably to the profitable growth Continental Tire North America experienced in its replacement market over the last years.”
Gerstenberger has been executive vice president of marketing and sales since late 2003. Prior to that, he was in charge of the original equipment business in the NAFTA region. He started with Continental in 1994.
Before joining Continental in 2003, Caldwell worked for Ford Motor Co. and Michelin North America Inc. He has experience in the areas of purchasing, account management and controlling.
“He already has a long experience in the tire business, and his product and market knowledge make him an excellent fit for this position,” says Schönberg.
Caldwell's official position will be vice president of PLT replacement sales and marketing. He will be replaced by David O’Donnell, who is responsible for original equipment key account management in Europe and Africa.
In his new position, O’Donnell will continue reporting to Karlheinz Evertz, who is in charge of the original equipment business unit for passenger and light truck tires.
