Former Continental CEO Neumann joins Vw as electric car guru

Former Continental AG CEO Karl-Thomas Neumann will be returning to Volkswagen AG as the group chief officer responsible for electric vehicles. The 48-year-old Neumann will be stepping into this newly created role that will have him report to VW CEO Martin Winterkorn. He starts his new job on December 1.

Last August, Neumann left Continental after a power struggle with controlling shareholder Schaeffler Group. It was in 2004 that Neumann joined Continental from VW and was named CEO of the Hanover-based supplier in August 2008.

Before taking the top job, Neumann had served as the supplier’s chief technology officer where he played a key role in the opening of Continental’s lithium-ion battery production plant in Nuremberg, Germany. Neumann worked at VW from 1999-2004.

He headed electronics research and electronics strategy and later assumed responsibility for electronics at the VW passenger car brand. Neumann has a doctorate in electrical engineering from the universities of Dortmund and Duisburg.