As of January 1, 2020, Continental Tire the Americas named Joerg Burfien president and head of Hoosier Racing Tire Corporation. The company supplies tires to racing applications across the world. It was acquired by Continental in 2016 and currently emphasizes on quality and high performance. Burfien succeeded John DeSalle who retired in November last year after serving as president for almost 31 years.
Burfien started working at Continental in 1998 where he was part of the International Trainee Program. Currently, he’s a Mechanical Engineer with a master’s degree. He was first based in Hannover, Germany where he worked as a technical project manager and a development engineer.
He got to also hold other positions within the organization such as being head of platform development tires in the U.S. in 2002. He was also head of a research and development team for Continental between 2006 and 2010. He has also worked for Contintental’s global Tire Division as the head of global Standards and Regulations.
According to the chief executive officer of Continental Tire the Americas and Hoosier Racing Tire Corporation, Dr. Jochen Etzel, in addition to having the leadership qualities and technical expertise needed at Hoosier, Burfien also understands the tire market very well. This is thanks to the many leadership roles he has held over the years.
Burfien’s understanding and passion for racing and technology presents the perfect mix required to take Hoosier to the next chapter. Whether it’s working in research and development, account management, or product development, Burfien is the guy. He started pursuing his passion for racing when he was young. He was part of amateur racing across the U.S. and won the 24-Hour circuit race series that took place in 2013.
When asked how he feels about the appointment, Burfien said that he is looking forward to working with the team and being a part of the largest worldwide racing organization. He had the chance to work with the company in 2009 and was again privileged to be the account executive for Continental’s European car dealer business. Having already established a rapport with Hoosier, Burfien is already familiar with what is required in his new role. He is excited to work with the spirited team and looks forward to promoting technology in the art of racing.