As from March 1, 2015, Helmut Ernst (55) will take up the reins as new chairman of the Board of directors of ZF Services. The experienced industry expert will in the future steer the Aftersales Business Unit of ZF Friedrichshafen AG, expanding its range of telematics solutions and other tailor-made services for tomorrow's mobility requirements. His predecessor Alois Ludwig (66), who has been instrumental in shaping ZF Services, is passing on the baton to Helmut Ernst and retiring from active working life.

"The always-on society will develop rapidly in the coming years. This will again accelerate the networking of vehicles and infrastructure around the globe," explained Helmut Ernst, sketching the challenges but also the bright prospects for the ZF Services portfolio. "The connected workshop will evolve into a mobility manager, recommending maintenance or preventive repairs to vehicle owners as appropriate. We will develop the online services necessary for this and offer them to our customers."

"Efficient and effective data handling opens up new, attractive business models to many operators on the market. I firmly believe the independent aftermarket with solutions from ZF Services will profit from the dynamic changes in the mobility industry," said Ernst.

Dr Stefan Sommer, CEO of ZF Friedrichshafen AG, took the opportunity of the changeover to thank Alois Ludwig for his decades of successful work: "He was a driving force behind various mergers and led the Business Unit to new heights within the ZF Group as well as on the international aftermarket."

Dr Sommer stressed Ludwig's special contribution to the global development of ZF Services, which always maintained its focus on customer requirements. "Alois Ludwig not only applied his vision to shape the development of ZF Services from a parts to a solution supplier, but also worked in various industry organizations to promote valuable initiatives dedicated to strengthening quality-consciousness and technical know-how," continued Dr Sommer. "With Helmut Ernst, ZF gains an adept successor and respected manager with international experience on the aftermarket, especially on the Asian markets so crucial to ZF."

Industry expert with experience on all continents
Helmut Ernst, born in 1960, studied at the University of Applied Sciences in Gießen, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Precision Mechanics, and Petroleum Chemistry. After graduating as an engineer, he started his career in 1985 as Head of Production Management at Continental. Following further activities in general management, he took on leadership responsibility at Continental Automotive Aftermarket with a focus on Europe, Asia, and the USA.

As from 2007, Ernst was vice-president of the Independent Aftermarket Continental and managing director of Continental Automotive Aftermarket GmbH, headquartered in Frankfurt/Main. Additionally, he was head of the Regional Sales Organization of the Commercial Vehicles and Aftermarket Business Unit. During this period, he was responsible, among other things, for integrating the aftermarket activities of VDO and Omitec Diagnose after their acquisition by Continental. Additionally, he took charge of establishing aftermarket activities in South America and China, and developing additional product lines for the spare parts business.