Mumbai: Continental’s group sector ContiTech has appointed Rohit Markan as the Executive Vice President Industrial Solutions for Asia Pacific (APAC), effective November 17, 2025. He reports directly to Philip Nelles, Executive Board member for ContiTech, and succeeds Hannes Friederichsen, who has retired after many years with the company.
Based in Singapore, Markan will oversee industrial operations across key markets including India, China, Australia and New Zealand, Japan, Korea, and Southeast Asia. His mandate includes optimizing organizational structures and processes across product groups and customer industries, while contributing to ContiTech’s strategic direction as part of the newly formed Executive Management Committee, ahead of the group sector’s planned independence in 2026.
The APAC business encompasses ContiTech’s industrial offerings made from rubber and plastics, including hoses, conveyor belts, drive belts, and air springs for a diverse range of industries.
With over 28 years of leadership experience, Markan has held senior roles spanning Sales, Marketing, Finance, Manufacturing, Project Leadership, Innovation Management, Profit & Loss Management, and Country & Board Management. He has driven multiple transformation initiatives and achieved revenue and profitability growth across industries and geographies.
His previous roles include Managing Director of Roquette India, Senior Vice President Sales for Roquette Asia Pacific, Global Marketing Manager for Solar Solutions at Dow Chemicals, and Global Head of Sales for the Pharma Business at Roquette Asia Pacific Pte Ltd.
Commenting on the appointment, Philip Nelles said, “Rohit Markan brings a broad portfolio of experience and perspectives from different regions, multiple industries and diverse functions which he gained in various management roles. He is the right person to further develop our industrial business activities in this important region. Rohit has repeatedly demonstrated the ability to drive change while at the same time inspiring his teams. We are delighted to have him on board as we are working together to lead ContiTech into its next chapter as an independent company. I would like to thank Hannes Friedrichsen for all the fruitful years with the company and wish him all the best for the future.”
Markan added, “I am delighted to become part of ContiTech, a company with such a long tradition and so much potential. I am eager to bring in my expertise and leadership from past experiences in Asia Pacific, thus making a contribution for harnessing the companies’ potential in one of the most important growth regions for Continental.”
Continental, founded in 1871, is a global leader in tires and industrial solutions, generating €39.7 billion in sales in 2024 and employing around 95,000 people across 54 countries. ContiTech, the group’s industrial business sector, provides connected, environmentally friendly, safe, and cross-material solutions across industries including agriculture, rail, road, air, industrial, food, and furniture sectors. ContiTech employs nearly 42,000 people in over 40 countries and reported sales of €6.4 billion in 2024.
