Dr. Stefan Sommer

Dr. Stefan Sommer, Chairman of the Board of Management of ZF Friedrichshafen AGspoke on the topic "Acting instead of reacting: How ZF Friedrichshafen AG is preparing for the challenges of the future".

ZF is one of the world's leading automotive suppliers of drive and chassis technology with 121 production companies in 27 countries. With almost 71,500 employees, the Group generated sales of 15.5 billion euros in 2011. ZF is one of the 10 largest automotive suppliers in the world. The company was founded in 1915 to develop and produce transmissions for airships and vehicles. Today, the product range includes transmissions and steering systems as well as chassis components and complete axle systems and modules. Every year, the ZF Group invests more than 5 percent of total sales in research and development. In 2011, this expenditure amounted to 754 million euros. The ZF Group is also making great strides in terms of investments. In 2011, ZF invested more than one billion euros in the expansion of existing plants and the construction of new ones.

Dr. Stefan Sommer studied mechanical engineering with a focus on automation at the Ruhr University Bochum. He received his doctorate in engineering from the Chair of Control Engineering at the Ruhr University Bochum. In 1994, Dr. Sommer began his professional career at ITT Automotive Group Europe GmbH in Frankfurt am Main as a development engineer. In 1997, he moved to Continental Automotive Systems in Hanover as Director Electronics & Sensor Development. After several professional positions within the Continental Group, most recently as Senior Vice President EBS Customer Center, Dr. Sommer moved to ZF Sachs AG in Schweinfurt in 2008 as a member of the Board of Management, Chassis Division. In 2010, Dr. Sommer was appointed to the Executive Board in Friedrichshafen, where he assumed responsibility for Materials Management. In January 2012, he became Deputy Chairman of the Executive Board. Since May 1, 2012, Dr. Sommer has been Chairman of the Board of Management of ZF Friedrichshafen AG.

Status: Beginning of 2013