When Thilo moved from China to Singapore in August 2025 to take up the role of Managing Director for Pirelli Asia Pte Ltd, he did not arrive with a grand plan about scale or domination.
Instead, he spoke about focus. About ecosystems. About long-term trust.
With 25 years in the automotive industry and a front-row seat to China’s explosive growth across SUVs, EVs and autonomous technology, Thilo brings both realism and conviction to Southeast Asia. His view is clear: this is not one market. There are many markets moving at different speeds. And for Pirelli, precision matters more than volume.
We sat down with him to talk about leadership, localisation, premium positioning and why safety remains the only KPI that cannot be negotiated.
On transitioning from China to Southeast Asia
Q: You’ve recently taken on this regional role. How would you describe your approach to Southeast Asia?
Thilo:
Southeast Asia is an incredibly dynamic and highly attractive market, but it’s important to recognise that it is not a single, uniform market. Even in China, we don’t operate with one standard approach – development varies by geography, culture and economic maturity. The same is true here.
For Pirelli, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia and Taiwan are core markets. Indonesia and Vietnam have tremendous potential thanks to their population and economic development. These countries already have highly developed urban centres with strong premium car demand.
Our strategy remains clear: we are focused solely on premium and prestige tyres for customers who value performance, safety and technological excellence. Growth across the regions will come, but not at the same pace everywhere. Our role is to identify where Pirelli can create the greatest impact and allocate our resources accordingly.
Lessons from China’s automotive evolution
Q: Having witnessed China’s transformation, what insights apply to this region?
Thilo:
During my time in China, I observed three major waves reshape the market. First, the rise of SUVs, and then the rapid acceleration of electrification. Now, the emergence of autonomous driving. Chinese manufacturers seized each of these opportunities and expanded their market share at remarkable speed. Twenty years ago, the idea of paying a premium for a Chinese car would have seemed unlikely. Today, consumers are willing to invest significantly more in Chinese EVs, reflecting the industry’s remarkable progress in technology, performance, and quality, with rising national pride serving as an additional catalyst. A similar trajectory could unfold in Southeast Asia. We already see strong local players such as Proton and Perodua in Malaysia and VinFast in Vietnam. These brands will continue to grow if they deliver real value. We should never underestimate any player. Our responsibility is to deliver value to every partner in the ecosystem, supporting the development of a healthy, forward-looking mobility landscape.
Focus over scale
Q: Pirelli is not the largest tyre company by volume. How does that shape your strategy?
Thilo:
It is true that we do not operate with an unlimited scale. As the leader in the Premium and Prestige segments, Pirelli is not driven by volume. We have strong brand recognition and excellent products and innovative technologies, which sharpen our focus, so we must be highly selective in how and where we invest. Our marketing resources cannot be diluted across every market simultaneously; instead, we prioritise markets where our actions can create meaningful impact and serve as a reference for the region.
Taking Singapore as an example, when a trend gains traction there, it often influences neighbouring markets such as Malaysia or Indonesia. In that sense, Singapore can be a demonstration market for us. That’s why focus becomes a strength. Connection, rather than dispersion, is the core of our strategy.
Building a community, not just pushing product
Q: What does “ecosystems” mean in practical terms, for Pirelli?
Thilo:
Traditionally, manufacturers focus on pushing stock to wholesalers, with little visibility and responsibility for what happens afterwards. I see the “ecosystems “differently. From my perspective, the wholesaler, the retailer, Pirelli and the end consumer are all interconnected. If one part of the chain struggles, the entire system feels the impact. That’s why Pirelli’s role goes far beyond supply. We must equip our partners with confidence. Training is essential, including technical, commercial, and storytelling. Retailers need to understand how to communicate Pirelli’s advantages in real-world scenarios, which technologies fit which types of drivers, and how specific features can genuinely enhance people’s daily driving experience.
When the retailer believes in the product, and the consumer clearly understands the value, sales follow naturally. That’s what a healthy ecosystem looks like.
Safety: the non-negotiable KPI
Q: In Singapore, especially, drivers are willing to pay more for peace of mind. How does Pirelli position itself here?
Thilo:
Pirelli always puts safety as a priority. Tyres are the only part of the vehicle touching the ground, and while performance often requires balancing factors such as rolling resistance, comfort and noise. Safety is non-negotiable. Singapore is a unique market where cars and COEs are expensive, and, by comparison, tyre costs are marginal relative to the overall vehicle value. Drivers also travel to Malaysia and Thailand, where road conditions can vary significantly. In these situations, performance, safety and reliability become more important. This is where Pirelli’s technology truly makes a difference – delivering the confidence, control and peace of mind that Singaporean drivers expect.
Run Forward and Cyber Tyre: innovation with context
Thilo highlights three technologies that are particularly relevant to Southeast Asia.
Run Forward is Pirelli’s latest mobility extension solution. Unlike traditional run-flat tyres, which can be firm and compromise comfort, Run Forward is engineered to balance rolling resistance, comfort and noise, while still allowing drivers to travel up to 40 kilometres at reduced speed after a puncture. In countries where highways stretch between cities and roadside assistance may not be immediate, that extension can be crucial.
Cyber Tyre integrates sensor technology within the tyre, providing real-time data. While more commonly associated with premium and EV segments, Thilo sees it as part of the broader move toward intelligent mobility. Then there is Seal Inside, a technology designed to deal with one of the most common headaches: punctures. If an object penetrates the tread area, the sealing layer inside the tyre can immediately contain the air loss, allowing the driver to continue without a sudden drop in pressure. In dense urban environments like Singapore, or on longer regional drives where the nearest tyre shop may not be just around the corner, that kind of reassurance is practical, not theoretical. The message is clear: technology must translate into tangible value for the driver, not just brochure headlines.
On “Made in China” and the quality perception of Pirelli tyres
Q: There are increasing numbers of tyres coming from China into this region. How do you address quality perceptions?
Thilo:
Quality perceptions are always an important topic in our industry, and the first thing I emphasise is that Pirelli’s standards are global. Regardless of where a tyre is produced, it must meet the same level of engineering excellence, safety performance and technological precision that define our brand.
Today, our passenger car tyres for the APAC region are manufactured in our state‑of‑the‑art facility in China. It is one of the most advanced plants in our global network, equipped with high‑automation processes, rigorous quality controls and the same proprietary technologies used in our European factories. When customers raise questions about the origin, I always encourage them to visit the plant. Seeing the level of sophistication, discipline, and professionalism firsthand is often the most convincing.
What is equally important is the strength of our R&D capability in the region. Our APAC R&D centre plays a critical role in developing tyres tailored to the region’s emerging needs. This is where we design and test solutions that anticipate the rapid evolution of mobility, and showcase how local insight combined with global technology delivers real value to drivers.
China’s automotive sector has evolved under extremely demanding technical standards, shaped by decades of collaboration with leading global manufacturers. That environment has created a strong foundation for precision engineering and high‑quality production.
For Pirelli, quality is never defined by geography. It is defined by the standards we set, the processes we enforce and the consistency we deliver. That is what our customers ultimately rely on — and that is what we stand behind every day.
A long-term view
If there was one thing that kept surfacing in our chat, it was this: play the long game.
Thilo doesn’t seem interested in quick spikes or flashy short-term wins. He talks about trust. About making sure wholesalers and retailers genuinely believe in the product they are selling. About giving them the tools and confidence to explain why a Pirelli costs more, and why that matters.
It is more about protecting what the brand stands for. For a name so closely linked to Formula 1 and soon to MotoGP, and with decades of prestige and performance heritage, that mindset feels right.
In a region where competition is only getting fiercer, Pirelli under Thilo is focused on technology, partnerships and being where it matters.
