Continental Tyres has appointed Ian Jackson as General Manager for Technical Services, replacing industry expert Steve Howat, who is preparing for retirement.
Ian Jackson Takes On New Technical Leadership Role
Continental Tyres has appointed Ian Jackson as General Manager for Technical Services. With a career spanning a variety of technical and customer-facing roles, Ian takes over from Steve Howat, ahead of his retirement later this year.
Jackson brings more than four decades of technical and operational expertise to his new role. He began his Continental career over 15 years ago as a tyre inspector, spending nine years supporting customers and developing a deep understanding of tyre analysis. He later moved into Continental’s Digital and Fleet Solutions division, where he led the company’s digital solutions offer, focusing on data-driven maintenance and tyre management systems to improve efficiency and performance.
Ian Jackson To Lead Continental’s Technical Services
In his new position, Jackson will lead Continental’s Technical Department across the UK and Ireland, overseeing customer support, technical training, warranty investigations, product quality, testing and field engineering activities. Drawing on his experience, he will support the business and our customers as new tyre regulations reshape the industry in the coming years.
Speaking about his new role, Jackson said, “I’m honoured to continue the fantastic work Steve and our team have delivered over many years. With the industry evolving through digitalisation and ever-changing legislation, I look forward to working closely with our customers and partners to ensure they receive the highest levels of technical expertise and support.”
Steve Howat’s Lasting Legacy At Continental
In his time at Continental, Howat has provided technical support to customers across the UK and Ireland, earning a reputation as one of the tyre industry’s most trusted and respected experts. A passionate ambassador for all things tyre-related, he has played a key role in some of the sector’s most significant developments, helping end users adapt to evolving legislation, advancing tyre safety and maintenance best practice, and supporting the adoption of new tyre technologies and digital fleet solutions.
A long-standing member of the BTMA Technical Committee, Howat has also contributed to the IMI and NTDA, helping raise technical standards across both the consumer and commercial vehicle sectors. His expertise has guided the industry through major developments, including electrification and the introduction of EU tyre labelling. His passion for education has seen him deliver customer training on tyre safety, electric vehicles and emerging technologies, as well as support driver training programmes at Mercedes-Benz World.
Howat has also led rolling resistance and fuel-efficiency trials, helping customers unlock significant cost savings through detailed fuel analytics and data-led tyre management strategies. He will continue to provide project-based support to the Continental team in the months ahead, ensuring his expertise remains available to colleagues and customers.
Continental Welcomes Ian Jackson And Thanks Steve Howat
Tracey Mortimer, Managing Director, Continental Tyre Group UK and Ireland, said, “I’d like to thank Steve for his outstanding contribution to Continental and the wider tyre industry over the past 15 years. His expertise and dedication to supporting customers have left a lasting legacy, and we wish him all the very best in his well-earned retirement.”
“At the same time, we’re delighted to welcome Ian into the role. Having built extensive experience across the business, he brings a deep understanding of our products, customers and industry. Ian has already made a significant impact during his time at Continental, and we’re confident he will continue to strengthen our technical support offering, further enhance our best-in-class training and technical services capabilities, and help drive the business forward in the years ahead.”
