IAA Voices Conference Special: Interview Michelin

An interview with Philipp Ostbomk, Vice President Sales B2B Europe North at Michelin.

Imagine you are in a time machine and on your way "back to the future". In which year would you like to get off and why?

I would like to get out in the year 2050 and am curious to see how mobility will have changed by then. I'm sure that by then we'll be driving emission-free and sustainably – definitely with tyres by Michelin, which are 100 percent sustainably manufactured.

If you had one superpower that would help you professionally, what would it be?

Being able to beam me from one place to another would be awesome! I could spend much more valuable time with our customers, partners and employees at the locations in Northern Europe – without further adding to my personal CO2 footprint.

What trend are you currently following professionally with great interest?

For me, this is clearly the trend towards more sustainability, which has also fully caught on in the logistics industry. All market participants are required to make their contribution. For us as a mobility company, this means that we support our customers, for example, with products that last longer, reduce the costs of operating materials and fleet maintenance, and are manufactured sustainably.

What is/was the biggest game changer for you in the logistics or transport industry in the past ten years?

Digitization has significantly changed the logistics or transport industry and will continue to advance it in the coming years. It offers enormous potential for greater efficiency and sustainability in order to meet current and future challenges. With our tyre know-how, we create new, networked solutions for truck fleets, freight forwarders and independent fleet operators.

What innovation do you currently see internationally as a blueprint on the road to climate neutrality?

From our point of view, there is not just one innovation. On the way to zero-emission mobility, we need an approach that is open to all technologies. Hydrogen or a purely battery-electric drive? Both technologies have the potential to become an essential part of green transportation. The trend towards e-mobility continues to gain momentum. The commercial vehicle industry is an important driver for both technologies.

What are your hopes for the IAA TRANSPORTATION?

At our booth, we will be presenting solutions for sustainable and networked mobility. I am convinced that we will provide a lot of impetus with which fleet operators and fleet managers can optimally position their business for the future. Nowhere else at the fair are visitors presented with such innovative tyre and tyre-related solutions and much more.

What are you particularly looking forward to at the IAA Conference?

To inspiring lectures! And after the break caused by the pandemic, especially the exchange face-to-face with our customers and partners.

 

Biography:

Philipp Ostbomk, born in 1979, has been Vice President Sales B2B Michelin Europe North since October 2021 and is responsible for all sales activities for commercial vehicle customers in the DACH, UK, Ireland and Scandinavia regions.

Ostbomk completed his studies in business administration in Bamberg in 2004. From 2005 to 2007, he gained sales experience as a trainee at Michelin before embarking on a steep career within the company, where he was entrusted, among other things, with the management of international key accounts as European Key Account Manager.

From 2018 to 2021, Ostbomk focused on the sales activities of Michelin B2B customers in the DACH region as Managing Director & Sales Director B2B DACH, before taking up the position as Vice President Sales B2B Europe North in October 2021, thus becoming part of the region's management board.

Philipp Ostbomk is married and has two children. In his private life, the native Westphalian is a great hobby cook and wine lover.