At its most recent regular meeting, the Supervisory Board of ZF Friedrichshafen AG appointed Dr. Peter Holdmann, 54, to the Board of Management of the technology group effective May 1 of this year. Dr. Martin Fischer, who is reorienting himself professionally, does not wish to have his contract extended from November 2024.
“I look back with pride on a very committed and engaging time at ZF, which was characterized by an active transformation of the business units entrusted to me, especially by the recent merger of the Car Chassis Technology and Active Safety Technology divisions to create the new Chassis Solutions division. Now is a good time for professional reorientation. I believe that the Group is very well positioned for the future with its strategy and many highly qualified colleagues,” says Dr. Martin Fischer. Fischer has been a member of the ZF Board of Management since November 2019. He oversees the Chassis Solutions, Passive Safety Technology, Electronics and ADAS divisions as well as the Quality department and the North and South America region.
The Chairman of the Supervisory Board, Dr. Heinrich Hiesinger, expressed his sincere regret at Fischer’s decision: “Dr. Martin Fischer has contributed to the success of the company with his work in very challenging times. Among other things, he has successfully driven the expansion of the business in North and South America and developed ZF into the leading supplier of steer-by-wire and break-by-wire solutions following the acquisition of TRW. We would like to thank him for his great commitment and wish him all the best for the future.”
As representative of the Zeppelin Foundation, which holds 93.8 percent of ZF shares, its Chairman Andreas Brand says: “We deeply regret Dr. Martin Fischer’s decision and respect his wish to take on a new challenge. We thank him for his forward-looking approach and the excellent collaboration over the past four years. With the appointment of Dr. Peter Holdmann, we are ensuring continuity on the ZF Board of Management. We wish him every success in his new role.”
Dr. Peter Holdmann will take over responsibility for the Chassis Solutions division and the Quality department on May 1. Dr. Martin Fischer will remain in charge of the Passive Safety Technology and Electronics and ADAS divisions as well as the North and South America region. He will gradually hand over these tasks in a staggered manner until his departure.
“Dr. Peter Holdmann has known ZF for more than 20 years and has done a lot for the company,” says Dr. Heinrich Hiesinger, Chairman of the Supervisory Board. “He has extraordinary expertise in chassis technology and is very well connected within the company. He will further strengthen the intelligent chassis systems segment, which will continue to be of central importance for vehicles in the future.”
Peter Holdmann, who holds a doctorate in mechanical and automotive engineering from RWTH Aachen University, has been with ZF since 2000. After holding various management positions in the Car Chassis Technology division, he assumed overall responsibility for the Chassis Modules and Chassis Systems business unit in 2008. With the acquisition of TRW Automotive in 2015, he moved to the new Active and Passive Safety Technology division and headed the Brake and Steering business from the Detroit, Michigan location in the US. Since 2019, Holdmann has headed the Car Chassis Technology division, which was transferred to the new Chassis Solutions division at the beginning of the year.
