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From Everywhere to Somewhere: ZF's Profitability-First Reset

As ZF navigates industry disruption, portfolio rationalisation and profitability pressures, its new CEO is reshaping the 111-year-old supplier around sharper priorities, stronger financial discipline and a growing focus on India.

By Ketan Thakkar, Mukul Yudhveer Singh & Kiran Murali

22 Jun 2026

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From Everywhere to Somewhere: ZF's Profitability-First Reset

"There was a period where big automotive suppliers thought they could do everything."

ZF CEO Matthias Miedreich is speaking about an era that helped define the modern automotive supplier industry. It was a period when electrification, autonomous driving and software promised to reshape mobility, prompting suppliers to expand aggressively in search of future growth.

ZF was among the biggest believers. The acquisitions of TRW Automotive and WABCO transformed the German company into one of the world's largest automotive technology suppliers, with with businesses spanning vehicle safety, advanced driver assistance systems, commercial vehicles, electrified powertrains, software, electronics and industrial ...

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