As the new Executive Vice President HR Electronics, Holger Pfaff brings a lot of experience and empathy as well as real doer qualities. A varied career that leads from the German Armed Forces via ZF and Continental to FORVIA HELLA.

Monday 08.04.2024

"I was fascinated by HR work from an early age," explains Holger Pfaff. "I like people and find it exciting to accompany and support them in their professional development." The man from Baden, Germany, gained his first experience in the German Armed Forces as a group leader and instructor. After completing his apprenticeship as an industrial clerk at ZF, he moved to Heilbronn University of Applied Sciences, where he studied business administration with a focus on HR management. "HR is a people business and therefore exactly the right thing for me," says Holger Pfaff, explaining his motivation. "Because I think it's very important to incorporate the human component into business decisions in addition to data and facts – and that's exactly what HR does." Practical experience has always been at least as important to Holger Pfaff as theory. During his studies and during his semester breaks, he therefore continued to work at ZF, among other things as a shift worker in the plants. To this day, he still benefits from the valuable experience gained from his first series of work. The HR professional was also drawn abroad during his studies. Internships at ZF in Detroit, Daimler in Dubai and ZF in India gave him his first international experience.

Internationally experienced
After graduating, Holger Pfaff got off to a flying start at Continental; for around 17 years, he climbed the HR career ladder – including several years abroad. For example, as Human Resources Manager in Yokohama, Japan, where he witnessed the 2011 Fukushima earthquake and tsunami disaster. "Although we were only indirectly affected, the buildings in Yokohama also shook, the entire public transport system and mobile phone networks went down." After the evacuation and a brief stopover in Germany, the next foreign stop was Shanghai. In the Chinese metropolis, he took over as Head of HR at the local branch in Shanghai-Jiading. After further career steps at Continental, including in Frankfurt am Main and as Deputy Chairman of the Supervisory Board at Continental Automotive Hungary, Holger Pfaff moved to new professional shores in the course of the past year. The experienced HR professional then joined FORVIA HELLA at the beginning of January 2024. What motivated him? "First and foremost, the decentralized organizational structure, which brings with it a lot of responsibility, scope for decision-making and a good deal of freedom," explains the new Executive Vice President HR Electronics. " I also remain loyal to 'my' automotive industry and can identify well with the products of this innovative player steeped in tradition."

Empathetic doer
His team can expect a lot of experience, empathy, and implementation strength from Holger Pfaff. "I'm an emotional person and I'm good at putting myself in other people's shoes. At the same time, I am repeatedly credited with being a doer." In his role as a manager, cooperative interaction with his employees is important to him. Above all, he sees himself as a sparring partner who supports his team and empowers them to do things themselves. "I give my people a lot of freedom. But of course, at the end of the day, the results have to be right." And Holger Pfaff’s private life? He likes to be in nature. So, he just got his hunting license. In his free time, he also takes care of the garden at home, cares for his large circle of friends and travels through Europe. "My wife has many relatives in Italy, Norway and Switzerland, whom we like to visit regularly." Where will the next trip take him? That has not yet been decided. In any case, he has already started it with FORVIA HELLA.