Dr. Ismail Dagli is set to assume leadership of Continental’s Autonomous Mobility business area, starting from October 1, 2023. He will take over from Frank Petznick, who has opted to leave the company at the end of September. Dagli is currently heading Continental’s Smart Mobility business area, responsible for mobility services, fleet operators, and commercial vehicle manufacturers within the Automotive group sector since the beginning of 2022. A computer scientist by training, Dagli earned his doctorate while researching artificial intelligence in the context of autonomous driving.
Dagli commenced his career in 2005 as a development engineer for advanced driver assistance and active safety systems at Daimler. In 2008, he joined Bosch, where he held various managerial roles in Germany and the United States. In 2020, Dagli joined Continental and assumed the role of head of research and development within the Advanced Driver Assistance Systems business unit. Following the restructuring of the Automotive group sector in early 2022, this business unit was integrated into the Autonomous Mobility business area, which Dagli is now set to lead.
Philipp von Hirschheydt, a member of Continental’s Executive Board and the head of the Automotive group sector, expressed confidence in Dagli’s ability to drive the Autonomous Mobility business area’s partner-focused strategy, aiming to enhance its technological and commercial market position. Continental anticipates substantial growth opportunities in systems and components within the autonomous mobility sector, with radar sensors, in particular, drawing global interest. The company has secured orders for satellites and premium radars from a renowned automaker and sees further potential in parking features.
Continental’s commitment to a partner-focused approach has garnered attention from customers seeking scalable, high-performance systems developed in collaboration with Continental’s partner Ambarella. Additionally, the partnership with Aurora has seen the Autonomous Mobility business area supply the entire hardware kit and fallback system, reaffirming Continental’s status as one of the few full-range suppliers in advanced driver assistance systems and automated and autonomous driving.
Frank Petznick, who has been instrumental in Continental’s strategic partnerships with Ambarella, Horizon Robotics, and Aurora, will be leaving the company. He had taken over as the head of the Advanced Driver Assistance Systems business area at Continental in August 2020, following a career that included roles at Hella, Bertrandt AG, and Volkswagen AG.
Continental, founded in 1871, is a technology company specializing in developing innovative technologies and services for sustainable and connected mobility for both people and goods. In 2022, the company generated sales of €39.4 billion and employs approximately 200,000 people across 57 countries and markets.
