The world of suppliers has become even more crucial within recent times; these are the sector’s most influential
Suppliers are the somewhat-forgeton backbone of the automotive industry – you can’t make a car without parts.
Over the past few years the importance of those at the top has become even more pronounced as the sector battles pressures created by the Covid pademic and geopolitical crises.
It is those that we celebrate within the Power List 100, sponsored by Keyloop.
From the traditional German giants such as Bosch and Continental to the new global battery manufacturing leaders from China such as CATL, they wield an enormous influence on the car industry.
Power List 100 – Supplier Chiefs
Seetarama Kotagiri, CEO, Magna International
‘Swamy’ Kotagiri heads up one of the industry’s largest manufacturers, Magna, which builds vehicle bodies, powertrains, seating systems and more. Beyond components, it’s also responsible for manufacturing high-ticket cars such as the Mercedes-Benz G-Class, BMW Z4 and Toyota GR Supra, as well as the Jaguar I-Pace and Fisker Ocean EVs. Aged 54, Kotagiri has more than 30 years of experience in the automotive industry – of which 22 have been spent at Magna.
Yoonho Choi, CEO, Samsung SDI
Since becoming CEO of Samsung SDI in 2021, Choi has established the firm as one of the most important battery manufacturers for the years to come. This year alone, Samsung has announced gigafactory joint ventures with General Motors and Stellantis, which will have its cells play a crucial role in electrifying the North American car market. It’s also rumoured to be readying production of cylindrical cells in Hungary for BMW’s next-generation EVs.
Holger Klein, CEO, ZF Friedrichshafen
ZF, the firm behind some of the world’s finest gearboxes, finds itself in the midst of a generational transformation with the move to EVs. Holger Klein took the reins of the world’s third-largest automotive supplier last year, hailing the changes introduced by industry newcomers such as Lucid, Nio and Tesla and the rate at which they have developed. ZF is now diversifying its business away from solely producing hardware, having inked a deal to provide Lotus with chassis-tuning software for the Eletre electric SUV earlier this year.
Sung Hwan Cho, CEO, Hyundai Mobis
Hyundai’s supply division aims to be a leader in autonomous driving technology, connected cars and electrification. It has unveiled several novel technologies in recent years, including in-wheel motors for the Hyundai Ioniq 5, an ‘e-corner’ steering system that allows the EV to drive sideways and a roll-out infotainment display that could give greater flexibility to interior design. With Cho at the helm, it recorded $29 billion (£23bn) in sales last year, making it the world’s sixth-largest automotive supplier.
Stefan Hartung, CEO, Robert Bosch
Seventeen years experience at Bosch earned Stefan Hartung the top job at the beginning of 2022, and since then he has combined a raft of experience with a passion for technology to move the German firm from strength to strength. His challenge is to ensure Bosch can meet the challenges presented by a complex and dynamically changing world, particularly towards its goal of cutting 15% of its carbon emissions by 2030.
Koji Arima, president and CEO, Denso
A lifetime employee of Denso, Koji Arima first joined the components manufacturer back in 1981 after graduating with a degree in engineering. Since then, the firm has grown to encompass 38 countries across five continents, and it’s now expanding its efforts to non-automotive fields, such as household energy-management systems. Arima has also been instrumental in ensuring the firm meets its target of reducing CO2 emissions throughout the supply chain by 25% by 2030.
Zeng Yuqun, chairman, CATL
Arguably at the very forefront of making transportation sustainable, Robin Zeng is the founder of Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL), the world’s biggest supplier of lithium ion cells, with 37% of the global market. It’s a company he started only 12 years ago yet which now earns yearly revenues of nearly £3.5bn and has a global arsenal of 13 production plants at its disposal.
Hak Cheol Shin, CEO, LG Chem
Korea’s largest chemicals company is headed up by Hak Cheol Shin, a mechanical engineering graduate whose entire working life has been dedicated to the energy sector. After becoming CEO in January 2019, he led subsidiary LG Energy Solution, which was Korea’s biggest ever stock-market flotation. It’s now Europe’s largest manufacturer of lithium ion batteries and is valued at $92bn.
Yuki Kusumi, CEO, Panasonic
“We now face many remarkable social phenomena,” says Yuki Kusumi, “such as global warming, resource depletion and the prolongation of a healthy life expectancy.” In trying to address these issues, his future plan for Panasonic involves two strategies: working to reduce carbon emissions across all sectors in which it operates, from mobility to supply chains, and accelerating its technological innovations for customers to keep them “healthy, safe, and comfortable throughout their lives”.
Patrick Koller, CEO, Forvia
Heading up one of the world’s largest automotive suppliers is no small task – not least when you have 175,000 employees under your wing. Patrick Koller uses his expertise in sustainable mobility, cockpit experiences and development in Asia to his advantage and successfully led the recovery and growth of the French company when he joined in 2006. Now it’s fast accelerating plans to develop safe and sustainable mobility solutions for the future.
Nikolai Setzer, CEO, Continental
Continental says it has the “utmost trust and confidence” in Nikolai Setzer in guiding its transformation to a technology and software company, given his “deep, long-standing bond” with the company’s values. His experience is admirable, having joined in 1997 in the department for tyre development and engineering before ascending to join various executive boards to assume his current position in 2020.
Christophe Perillat, CEO, Valeo
Christophe Perillat holds a wealth of experience in several industries and management positions previous to his ascension as Valeo CEO in January 2022. He has worked in the aeronautics industry, supply-chain operations and subsidiary management positions in France and the US, but his challenge now is to use this experience and guide Valeo through its ‘Move Up’ plan, with which it is targeting revenue of “around €27.5 billion” by 2025.
How are the 100 names in Autocar’s Power List chosen?
The Power List ranks is made up of the globe’s 100 most influential automotive heads, based on the following criteria: global reach and influence, spending power, share of voice, technological influence, future growth potential and market capitalisation.
The top 10 are ranked and the remaining 90 names on the list are grouped into categories, including executives from more traditional car makers to the rising powerhouses from China and the latest technology and mobility companies.
These names were chosen by the editors of Autocar Business, the B2B product from the publisher of Autocar, designed to bring industry readers even closer to the inner workings and key players of the global automotive industry.
The full list will be available to download on 18 October.
