Stefan Tolle has assumed the role of president and general manager Automotive Aftermarket at MANN+HUMMEL. The 57-year-old follows Kurk Wilks, president and CEO of the MANN+HUMMEL Group, who held this position on an interim basis.
Wilks commented, “We are delighted to have Stefan Tolle, an experienced manager and proven expert in the automotive aftermarket, in our ranks. I am convinced that he is the right person to further strengthen our aftermarket business and make it fit for the future.”
Tolle worked for Bosch for more than three decades in various functions, including many years in the automotive aftermarket sector. Most recently, he was CEO of Syntegon Cartoning – Track & Trace GmbH, a spin-off of Bosch Packaging Technology.
“I really enjoy working in the aftermarket and am looking forward to the new challenge in a new team,” said Tolle. As an enthusiastic team sportsman, he is convinced that the team is always more than just the sum of the respective individual players. An interdisciplinary and international setup is very important to him: “The mixture makes the difference! Different approaches to solutions in global teams lead to success,” said Tolle, who in his previous positions worked primarily in Germany and the U.S.
He believes MANN+HUMMEL is very well-positioned for the challenges ahead. “Strong brands, great distribution, global leaders in many areas – that’s a great basis,” he said. Nevertheless, he does not see his new task as a foregone conclusion. The main challenges, he says, are the constantly changing circumstances: Market consolidation, the constantly growing importance of digitization and e-commerce, new customer structures and needs, and the currently highly volatile conditions of global economic development – to name just a few.
Tolle: “In my professional career, I had the opportunity to get to know a foundation company. Most recently, I was active in a company that was recently acquired by a private equity investor. Now I’m starting out in a family business. I’m really looking forward to that!”
Tolle studied mechanical engineering at the University of Stuttgart and Oregon State University, graduating in 1990. He also holds an MBA from the University of St. Thomas, USA. In 1991, he began his professional career as a management trainee at Bosch. Thereafter, he held various positions at Bosch Packaging Technology and Bosch Automotive Aftermarket, among others. Most recently, as CEO, he was responsible for Syntegon Cartoning – Track & Trace GmbH, a spin-off of Bosch Packaging Technology.
