If he were a footballer, Nikolai Setzer would have undoubtedly been a striker and team captain. He had worked at Continental for just twelve years, before he “stormed” into the company’s executive suite at the age of 38. In 2009, the Darmstadt native became a board member of the global company, initially overseeing the Passenger and Light Truck Tires business unit. Over time, his responsibilities expanded to include purchasing and the Automotive group sector.

Nikolai Setzer has now been CEO of the Hanover-based technology company for four years. That sounds like the result of a highly ambitious career plan, but the 53-year-old dismisses the idea. “When I was a student, I never thought that I would one day be a board member.” Yet his rise to the top has been remarkably swift. “I always wanted to enjoy my job and achieve something. But what’s always been important to me is what I can achieve as part of a team.” He calls it winning with the team. Even during school and university, he favoured team sports such as volleyball.

Setzer comes from a family of academics. He grew up in Darmstadt and has had a close connection to the TU Darmstadt since childhood – his father taught Political Science there. He also applied to other universities after graduating from high school. But the TU's excellent reputation, along with encouragement from friends and family, ultimately influenced his decision. “I hadn’t really thought about what to study until I was in my final year at school,” he recalls. He excelled at mathematics and enjoyed tinkering on all kinds of two-wheelers. “So engineering seemed like a natural fit. But I was also interested in economics.” The newly introduced Business Administration and Engineering degree programme with a focus on mechanical engineering seemed tailor-made for him.

The wide range of subjects and disciplines on the programme suited him well. Applied mechanics was no problem, but “fluid mechanics and thermodynamics were more abstract and definitely tougher,” he laughs. Still, he never failed an exam. One course that left a particularly positive impression on him was “Game Theory.” It sounds like a computer game, but it was actually about decision-making strategies, tactics, negotiation and economic behavior. “It was fun, although it was much drier than it sounds,” he notes.

Setzer also fondly remembers the lectures by Bert Rürup, professor of Finance and Economic Policy. Rürup was a political advisor on social policy for several German Federal Governments. He was a member of the German Council of Economic Experts and the Rürup pension introduced in 2005 is named after him.

“His lectures were excellent and particularly entertaining. The lecture room was always packed,” says the TU alumnus. Nikolai Setzer became Professor Rürup’s teaching assistant and wrote his thesis under his guidance, focusing on the future returns expected from the German pension system. “He had a great influence on me. I learned a great deal.”

In addition to mathematics, French was one of Setzer's main subjects at school. This influenced his decision to spend a year abroad in France. While many students chose Paris, he opted for Bordeaux. Having lived and studied in Darmstadt up to then, “I wanted to experience a different language and culture, while also enjoying the charm of a city known for its vibrant lifestyle.” The Atlantic Ocean and vineyards just around the corner were a bonus. It was an exciting time, during which he took part in the French-language Magistère programme and then completed a business internship lasting several months at a software company in Bordeaux. This international experience later proved invaluable in his career.

Nikolai Setzer joined Continental “by chance,” as he puts it. He found out about a recruiting workshop featuring ten companies from a flyer posted on a TU Darmstadt notice board. There, he met representatives from Continental and was invited to an interview in Hanover. “Everything was extremely professional,” which impressed the TU alumnus. In 1997, he started his first job there after graduating. “What tipped the scales for me was Continental’s international trainee program in research and development.” This two-year program gave newcomers hands-on experience – from fitting and changing tires to producing tires themselves in the factory and ultimately selling them. He deliberately chose research and development as the starting point of his career. “It’s the foundation. I wanted to understand the technology.’

After tire development, he moved into leadership roles in original equipment, product development, the replacement tire business, and later various positions on Continental’s board. Staying with a company for over 20 years is rare these days. “I never considered changing companies or jobs. Why would I? I was constantly taking on new challenges and doing something different.” For example, he spent over two years with his family in the US, working in Detroit, the heart of the American auto industry, where he oversaw the original equipment business.

Looking back, he says that the TU prepared him well for his career. “Business Administration and Engineering was the perfect degree – the bridge between technology and economics. It allowed me to contribute in both tire development and management.” It took 14 semesters to complete, which he says felt like pursuing two degrees in one. Now, as CEO, Setzer is navigating Continental through rough waters. The DAX-listed company, with around 200,000 employees in 56 countries and markets, generated sales of €41.4 billion in 2023, but must now cut costs to remain competitive.

“The automotive industry is currently facing significant challenges,” he explains. It’s a tough but unique responsibility to lead our company through this development. He describes the unprecedented technological transformation and simultaneously declining markets as particularly challenging. “On top of that, the COVID pandemic, disrupted supply chains and rising global prices have made an already difficult situation even worse. We face these challenges every day, and one thing is clear: we’ll only win by working together as a team.”