Harman appoints Christian Sobottka as president of Automotive business

Harman International, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics focused on connected technologies for automotive, consumer and enterprise markets, has appointed Christian Sobottka as president for its Automotive Division, effective January 1, 2021.

Sobottka was most recently CEO, CTO and chairman of the Executive Board at Robert Bosch Automotive Steering. He will also be appointed to Harman’s senior leadership committee and will report to president and CEO, Michael Mauser. Sobottka will be based out of Harman’s offices in Garching, Germany.

Michael Mauser said: “With his decades-long career as an automotive industry executive and deep expertise in leading teams across functions including engineering, sales, marketing and operations, Christian brings significant leadership and strategic value to Harman’s management team. As a transformative industry veteran, Christian has great experience in delivering incredible results, driving business growth and managing key Tier-1 customer and partner relationships. As Christian assumes responsibility of our connected car, car audio, and connected vehicle services teams, I am confident he will lead them to greater success as we push forward in our vision to enhance mobility experiences for one and all.”

Christian Sobottka said: “Harman’s market domination and growth in the automotive space is a testament to the remarkable vision, commitment and innovation of its leadership and teams around the world. I have long admired and fully share the company’s strategic focus on developing technologies and meaningful collaborations that improve in-car experiences for drivers and passengers. I am looking forward to getting to work and leading Harman’s automotive business to newer heights as the industry continues its shift from RPM to EPM or ‘Experiences Per Mile’.”

Sobottka has over 20 years of international experience in the automotive industry. Prior to his recent responsibility as CEO and CTO of Bosch Automotive Steering, he held leadership roles across a variety of departments, including engineering, sales, marketing and operations within Bosch and its portfolio of companies. He holds a Dipl.-Ing in Electrical Engineering from the Technische Universität Darmstadt, and an Executive MBA from the University of Bradford.