Bridgestone launches major rejig, management reshuffle

Tokyo – Bridgestone Corp. has announced a series of restructuring moves and senior leadership changes as it continues to “upgrade” its global management structure.

The changes include expanding the global head office (GHO) with new roles to strengthen, integrate and execute “significant global strategies” across the company’s business units, the Japanese tire & rubber company announced 23 Aug.

As part of the changes, which will take effect 16 Sept, Bridgestone Europe’s CEO and president Paolo Ferrari will also serve as the group’s chief digital strategic officer.

To further collaboration between R&D and manufacturing, Bridgestone EMEA  has created a "systems engineering department", to be led by chief technology officer EMEA, Emilio Tiberio.

Tiberio will also take responsibility for both quality and environment health & safety, as well as regulatory and public affairs.

Laurent Dartoux, SVP sales and marketing of Bridgestone Europe will now serve as the European chief operating officer.

He will retain several of his current responsibilities including brands marketing, solutions & strategy, as well as leading TomTom Telematics.

In addition, Dartoux will assume responsibility for manufacturing operations, logistics & supply chain management, and procurement, to help speed up the company’s core operations strategy.

Astrid Rahn, chief financial officer of Bridgestone EMEA, will assume, the responsibility for IT investments in addition to her current role.

Bridgestone EMEA’s chief sales officer Riccardo Cichi will further strengthen his commercial and consumer organisation by integrating the consumer and commercial product planning into the CSO function.

In Japan, Bridgestone will create a new business unit BSJP to reorganise the company’s tire and diversified products businesses.

The unit will be led by Akihiro Eto, Bridgestone Corp.’s president & chief operating officer.

The new structure will create “an analogous management structure” in Japan that matches the company's other regions and facilitates a more customer-centric operating model.

The changes also include the introduction of a new Bridgestone T&DPaaS strategy which will aim to enhance the company’s tire & diversified productions with a focus on solutions.

Group CEO and vice chair Shuichi Ishibashi will be responsible to lead the implementation of the strategy.

In the Americas region, Bridgestone has revamped its senior leadership structure and promoted Thomas Higgins to a newly created position.

Previously president of consumer tire division in US & Canada, Higgins has been appointed president of Americas Tire Business for Bridgestone Americas.

In the new structure, Higgins will be responsible for sales of all tire-led businesses across the Americas region, including the company's consumer and commercial tire businesses, Bridgestone said.

Higgins will no longer serve as the chairman of Bridgestone Europe. Christopher Nicastro, Bridgestone America’s chief compliance officer will assume the title of Bridgestone Europe’s chairman.

ERJ's sister publication Tire Business contributed to this report.