HARMAN International, a subsidiary of Samsung Electronics, has announced that Dr. Thomas Irawan will join the company on October 1, 2026, as Chief Operating Officer and President-Designate of HARMAN Automotive. In this new position, he will lead operational aspects of HARMAN Automotive and join the senior leadership team.
### Leadership Transition
Christian Sobottka, the CEO of HARMAN, will maintain his role as President of HARMAN Automotive, focusing on long-term strategy and major initiatives, including the integration of the ZF ADAS business. Irawan will gradually take on operational leadership responsibilities as part of a planned transition.
### Irawan’s Background & New Role
Before joining HARMAN, Irawan was President and Chairman of ETAS, with extensive experience at ETAS and Bosch in software-defined vehicle technologies and advanced driver assistance systems. His upcoming responsibilities will include overseeing operational execution in areas such as intelligent cockpit, car audio, connectivity, and automotive engineering services, as well as global customer groups. Following the acquisition of the ZF ADAS business, Irawan will also manage that division.
Irawan expressed enthusiasm about joining HARMAN, highlighting the company’s ability to transform consumer expectations into high-quality automotive technologies.
