Leadership changes at automotive lighting giant Hella

Recently, the Hella shareholder committee decided to appoint Michel Favre and Yves Andres as new members of the Hella Group Management Board.

Michel Favre, current Executive Vice President and Group Chief Financial Officer of Faurecia, will succeed Dr. Rolf Breidenbach as CEO of Hella on July 1, 2022 . As announced on February 4, 2022, by mutual agreement, Dr. Rolf Breidenbach's management contract will terminate on June 30, 2022, but he will continue to support the Faurecia/Hella group in an advisory capacity.

Yves Andres, currently Executive Vice President of Faurecia Green Mobility Solutions, will join the Hella Management Board on April 15, 2022. After the transition period, he will take over the Group's lighting business from Dr. Frank Huber, who will leave the company in accordance with the agreement between both parties.

Michel Favre

Michel Favre (63 years old) is an experienced financial and industry expert. Born in France, he has served as Executive Vice President and Group Chief Financial Officer of Faurecia since 2013. Prior to this, he also held the same positions at other well-known companies. He also worked for automotive parts supplier Valeo for 13 years, during which he held various expert and management positions, including in the lighting business.

Michel Favre looks forward to his new role: "It is a great honor to succeed Dr. Rolf Breidenbach as CEO. I will work hand in hand with my colleagues on the Management Board to consistently implement our strategic roadmap and further strengthen Hella's position in key growth areas such as electric vehicles, autonomous driving, and digitalization."

Yves Andres

Yves Andres (41) has been working at Faurecia since 2007. Since 2021, he has been a member of the Faurecia Executive Committee and is responsible for the Green Motion Intelligence business. Previously at Faurecia, he held various management positions in finance, manufacturing, sales, project management, and general management in Europe and the United States. Born in Switzerland, he is an industrial engineer who began his career in 2005 at automotive supplier ZF.

Regarding his new role, Yves Andres stated: "Hella is a pioneer in automotive lighting. For this reason, I look forward to working with the Hella global lighting team to continue leading trends in this field and, relying on innovative lighting solutions, make future mobility safer, more comfortable, and more sustainable."

据悉，去年，德国汽车照明巨头海拉（Hella）宣布与法国汽车零部件供应商佛吉亚（Faurecia）签署了协议，双方正式合并。今年年初，佛吉亚与海拉联合宣布新集团命名为FORVIA。海拉表示，海拉和佛吉亚均已经是各自领域的全球市场领导者。在业务合并之后，海拉和佛吉亚将成为全球第七大汽车零部件供应商。

In the acquisition, Faurecia acquired 79.5% of Hella's equity, including 60% shares from Hella's original controlling family, the Hueck family, and 19.5% shares acquired through the public tender offer in 2021.

It is known that Hella's main business is automotive lighting and automotive electronics. The company has deep technical reserves and high brand recognition in fields such as automotive lighting systems, sensors, battery systems, and electronic power steering components. For example, Hella developed the first full LED headlight and the world's first glare-free high-beam xenon headlight, among other products, which have already been mass-produced. At the same time, Hella is also one of the leading manufacturers of 24 GHz radar required by automakers for developing driver assistance systems. The company went public (IPO) in 2014.

Faurecia, as the world's eighth-largest automotive supplier, also holds a leading global position in four major business areas: automotive seating, emission control systems, and automotive interior and exterior trim.

After the merger, both companies will continue to operate as two legally independent entities while maintaining close cooperation.

To further enhance the company's flexibility and align its architecture with Forvia, Hella will be composed of three business units: Automotive lighting, Automotive electronics, and Lifecycle solutions. Overall, the newly established FORVIA Group will operate through six business divisions (including interiors, seats, automotive electronics, Green Mobility Solutions, lighting, and lifecycle solutions), deploying a total of 24 product line combinations.