Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Tire manufacturer brand Continental Tyre in Malaysia has appointed Andrea Somorova as its managing director for its Malaysian operations. Somorova previously served the local branch as its plant operations manager for almost six years.

A native of Slovakia, Somorova joins from Continental of Taiwan where she was general manager. She has been at Continental Group for over 23 years, of which 18 years were spent in Asia. She started her career with Continental Group in 1999 in Slovakia and then moved on to Continental in Germany before assuming managerial roles in Asia including in Malaysia, and other APAC markets.

While in Taiwan, Somorova steered Continental to achieve brand awareness among its Asia Pacific markets. She also led the team through one of its most challenging periods during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Somorova takes over from Samir Gupta who now oversees the India Operations while continuing to head the Central Asia Region Passenger and Light Truck Tires Replacement Business (PLT RE) at Continental.

Speaking about her appointment, Somorova said, “I am very excited to return to Malaysia and build on the work done previously. I look forward to guiding Continental Tyre Malaysia on its growth trajectory working closely with our teams on the ground to deliver innovative tyre solutions to our passenger and commercial vehicle customers. I always welcome new ideas from my team and believe that empowering them through trust, collaboration, and clear communication works best to deliver on our shared goals.”

Meanwhile, Gupta commented, “Her vast knowledge in the region and her familiarity with the Malaysian market will complement the amazing team in Malaysia who I’ve had the privilege to work with over the past two years.”