ZF Appoints Dr. Peter Holdmann as First Chief Technology Officer

On April 27, 2024, ZF Group announced that its Supervisory Board has appointed Dr. Peter Holdmann as the company’s first Chief Technology Officer (CTO). The newly created CTO position sits at the Executive Board level and aims to unify global technology management, enhancing the responsiveness and precision of R&D activities across business units in addressing customer needs. Dr. Holdmann had already served as a member of the Executive Board overseeing overall R&D responsibilities. Dr. Holdmann holds a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering with a specialization in automotive engineering and brings over two decades of experience in vehicle system development and management. He began his career in research and teaching at RWTH Aachen University and joined ZF in 2000, holding various leadership roles before joining the Executive Board in May 2024. This appointment reflects the growing strategic importance of technologies such as software-defined vehicles, artificial intelligence (AI), and connected system architectures within the company. Dr. Holdmann stated that his immediate priorities will focus on improving engineering efficiency across all business units, emphasizing that strict financial discipline and customer-centric innovation can go hand in hand. He noted that AI is transforming R&D processes and toolchains, accelerating decision-making, strengthening competitiveness, and driving the development of market-leading products. Dr. Rolf Breidenbach, Chairman of the Supervisory Board, praised Dr. Holdmann for combining deep technical expertise with forward-looking strategic vision, highlighting the significant value of his capabilities in strengthening ZF’s overall R&D prowess. CEO Matthias Miedl added that establishing the CTO role underscores the company’s commitment to reinforcing technology as its core driver, accelerating the commercialization of innovations, and enhancing cost efficiency in global R&D operations.