Ismail Dagli will assume leadership of Continental’s Autonomous Mobility business area on October 1, 2023, succeeding Frank Petznick, who will depart the company at the end of September.
Dagli’s Background and Expertise
Dagli, a computer scientist with extensive experience in automated and autonomous driving, has been at the helm of Continental’s Smart Mobility business area since the beginning of 2022.
Subsequently, he held various management positions at Bosch in both Germany and the United States. In 2020, Dagli joined Continental, initially overseeing research and development within the Advanced Driver Assistance Systems business unit, which later became part of the Autonomous Mobility business area.
Continental’s Growth Strategy
Continental recognizes significant growth potential in systems and components related to autonomous mobility. Radar sensors, in particular, have garnered substantial global interest. The company has secured confirmed orders for satellites and premium radars from a prominent automaker, and parking features present additional business opportunities.
Continental’s partnership-oriented approach has been affirmed by customer interest in scalable, high-performance systems developed in collaboration with partner Ambarella. Additionally, the partnership with Aurora involves the supply of the entire hardware kit and fallback system by the Autonomous Mobility business area.
Frank Petznick’s Contributions
Philipp von Hirschheydt, member of Continental’s Executive Board and head of the Automotive group sector, expressed gratitude for Frank Petznick’s contributions over the past three years. During Petznick’s tenure, Continental established itself as one of the few full-range suppliers in advanced driver assistance systems and automated and autonomous driving. His strategic partnerships with Ambarella, Horizon Robotics, and Aurora played a pivotal role in achieving this position.
Frank Petznick took over as the head of the Advanced Driver Assistance Systems business area at Continental in August 2020. With a degree in electrical engineering, he previously led the global Automated Driving Product Center as a member of the Electronics Executive Board at Hella. Prior to that, Petznick worked at Bertrandt AG and Volkswagen AG.