ERJ Appointments Tracker

Regular update of senior appointments across the global rubber & tire manufacturing industry:

Synthomer plc has appointed two independent non-executive directors, Janet Ashdown and Jonathan Silver, who joined the board on 1 July. Janet Ashdown has significant experience of general management primarily in the process and chemicals industries, as well as environmental and sustainability matters. Silver has significant international experience in finance and accounting, risk and controls, treasury, investment management and mergers and acquisitions, having served in a variety of senior roles culminating in chief financial officer during his 30-year executive career.

MacLellan Rubber Ltd, in May, announced the appointment of Kev Hadley to its team. Hadley, said the statement, has in-depth experience in the rubber industry, having operated as the owner of Willenhall Rubber Ltd – recently acquired by MacLellan Rubber. “With his extensive product knowledge, customer-first mindset, and hands-on expertise, Kev is a fantastic addition to our growing team,” the UK company added.

At its general assembly on 24 June, Italian plastics and rubber machinery industry association Amaplast confirmed its leadership for 2025-2027: Massimo Margaglione (GEFIT, injection moulds) was appointed as chairman; while Gabriele Caccia (Syncro, feeding/metering equipment and control devices) and Barbara Ulcelli (IMG, injection moulding machines) were elected as vice-chairs of the association.

Continental’s automotive group sector, which is planned to become the independent listed company Aumovio in September, has appointed Lutz Ackermann as head of investor relations. Ackermann transitions from Fuchs SE, bringing over a decade of leadership experience in investor relations.

Linglong Tire has appointed Jeff Hughes to the newly created role of regional director specialty tires for Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Hughes was previously sales director of the European specialty tires replacement business of Maxam Tires and before that spent over 20 years in various senior management positions at Goodyear worldwide.  Read more

Polish waste tire recycler Contec has appointed Maciej Szelewicki as director of strategy. He will lead the company’s growth initiatives and strategic partnerships. Szelewicki joins from Orlen and previously worked at McKinsey & Co. Read more

The supervisory board of Aumovio SE has appointed its executive board ahead of the company’s spin-off. CEO Philipp von Hirschheydt will lead the six-member board and serve as interim CFO while a successor is selected. Ingo Holstein becomes CHRO, while Boris Mergell, Jean-François Tarabbia, and Ismail Dagli will oversee safety & motion, architecture & networking, and autonomous mobility respectively. The company is targeting growth in software-defined and autonomous vehicles. 

Cabot Corp. has appointed Matthew Wood as SVP and president of its reinforcement materials segment, effective 15 June. He will succeed EVP Hobart Kalkstein, who will retire on 5 January 2026.

Momentive Performance Materials has appointed Craig Borkowski as chief executive officer (CEO), effective 16 June. Borkowski returns to Momentive following “a decade-long relationship,” having previously held multiple senior positions within the company.

Niko Haavisto, Nokian Tyres CFO and member of the management team, has decided to leave the company, the Finnish tire maker announced 28 May. The recruitment process for his successor will start immediately. Jari Huuhtanen, VP, group business control, is appointed as interim CFO, effective 1 June.

Continental’s automotive division is in search for a new finance chief after Karin Dohm announced that she will not assume the intended role as CFO of the future independent Aumovio SE. She has cited “personal reasons” for the decision. CEO Philipp von Hirschheydt has now taken over as the interim CFO until a successor is appointed. The move, according to Continental, will not impact on the scheduled spin-off of Aumovio in September.

Goodyear has elected Jason Winkler, EVP and CFO of Motorola Solutions, to its board of directors, effective 15 May. He joins the audit committee and the committee on corporate responsibility and compliance. Winkler has been with Motorola since 2001 and currently oversees its financial strategy, supply chain and IT functions.

Yokohama Rubber Co. has appointed Takeshi Masatomo as managing officer, head of tire overseas sales & marketing division, and head of tire overseas business planning department, effective 15 May. He previously served as managing officer and head of tire overseas sales & marketing.

Dorian Kremer has joined ips Intelligent Pelletizing Solutions as sales manager for strand pelletising systems, effective 1 May. Based in Niedernberg, Germany, Kremer becomes part of the company’s global sales team.

Goodyear has named company veteran Gregory Boucharlat as SVP global commercial business, effective immediately. In his new role, Boucharlat will join Goodyear's senior leadership team, with responsibility for global strategic coordination of the commercial tire business. He will also continue his current role as head of Goodyear's tires-as-a-service organisation.  Read more

UK-based tire manufacturer Enso has named Dominic Clark, a former senior manager at Michelin and BF Goodrich, as its new managing director. Read more

Bridgestone Corp. has announced that Agustin Pedroni will take on the role of VP and senior officer, as well as president of Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations Latin America (BATO LA), effective 16 May. He was previously VP and senior officer, and group pPresident of BSAPIC, which covers the Asia, Pacific, India and China region.

Sumitomo Rubber Industries has named Kiyoshi Igawa chairman and general manager of Sumitomo Rubber (China) Co., Ltd., chairman of Sumitomo Rubber (Changshu) Co., Ltd., and chairman of Sumitomo Rubber (Hunan) Co., Ltd.. He succeeds Tomohiko Masuda and is fully responsible for the business development of Sumitomo Rubber in China, said SRI in a recent statement. The appointment, said SRI, is part of a strategic move to transform business and expand the group’s markets.

Claire Fauvarque Nuytten, responsible for new elastomer process developments within Michelin Group's R&D department, was recently awarded the Pierre Faurre 2024 prize. The award, announced on 26 March, in particular recognised her development of a patented sustainable elastomer that is “now essential for reducing the energy consumption of Michelin products.”  Read more

As of 1 May, Martin John joined the management team of Krahn Chemie Group, ahead of taking over as CEO on 1 June. John brings over 30 years of international experience in the chemical industry to the supplier, part of family-owned Otto Krahn Group. A business graduate, he has held leadership roles at Hoechst, Sued-Chemie, and Clariant, working across Europe, the US, and China. Over the past 15 years, he has led global business units at Clariant in various industries, most recently overseeing the additives business for the coatings and adhesives sector. Dr. Rolf Kuropka, who has led Krahn Chemie as CEO for over 13 years, will continue to support the group in an advisory capacity.

The nomination committee of Scandinavian Enviro Systems (Enviro) has proposed Ewa Björling as new member and chairman of the board of directors of Enviro. Björling is currently a member of the board of directors of several companies, including Essity and Nynäs. "Ewa Björling brings a wealth of board experience and expertise... and we are confident that she will lead the company through its next phase of growth and innovation", said committee chairman Fabien Gaboriaud. The full proposal from the nomination committee will be announced 9 May.

Greene Tweed has named Vickie Kozhushchenko as its new chief human resources officer. She brings extensive experience in HR leadership from roles across several industries, including pharma, environmental services, hospitality, food services, healthcare, media and entertainment. Kozhushchenko holds a BSc in management operations & HR from Cornell University and a master’s degree in organizational dynamics from the University of Pennsylvania.  She will be based at Greene Tweed’s headquarters in Lansdale, Pennsylvania.

Continental AG has appointed Roland Welzbacher as executive board member, effective 1 Aug. He succeeds chief financial officer Olaf Schick, and will take over the role of CFO from Schick on 1 Oct. Welzbacher has managed the finance and controlling function in the Continental Tires group sector since 2023 and will continue to maintain that role. Following the planned carveout of the ContiTech group, Welzbacher will continue his executive board role at Continental AG, which will then be focused on tires.

Olaf Schick, currently Continental AG's CFO, will step down from his role on 30 Sep, after the planned completion of the spin-off of the Automotive group sector. Schick will join the board of management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG effective 1 Oct.

Yokohama Rubber has announced key leadership changes which will see Jeff Barna, head of US subsidiary promoted to take over as president & CEO of North America operations. He will succeed Shinichi Takimoto who returns to Japan to assume the role of Japan tire business and OE tire sales/marketing in Tokyo.

Canadian automotive fleet specialist Element Fleet Management Corp. has nominated former Bridgestone and Pirelli executive Paolo Ferrari to its board of directors. Ferrari and Tracey McVicar will join Element’s leadership team in May to replace directors Andrew Clarke and Arielle-Meloul Wechsler, said Element without giving further details.

Apollo Tyres has appointed Rajeev Kumar Sinha as the chief manufacturing officer, to lead the global manufacturing team of the Indian tire maker. Sinha will “drive” the global manufacturing agenda, including strategy and planning, performance optimisation, plant management, as well as the deployment of integrated manufacturing services (IMS) and advanced manufacturing systems at Apollo plants. Kumar brings 35 years of experience in operations and supply chain and has previous served in the chemical, FMCG, food & beverage and pharmaceutical industries.

US compounder Teknor Apex has named Patricia Mishic O’Brien as chief sustainability officer, effective 3 March. O’Brien will be responsible for developing and overseeing Teknor Apex’s sustainability strategy and its alignment with the company’s long-term vision and business goals. With her appointment, Teknor Apex said it aims to strengthen focus on circular economy and incorporate sustainable practices across manufacturing sites.

Polyisoprene rubber latex manufacturer Cariflex, part of Kraton Corp., has made key appointments to its senior management team, effective 1 April. SangWoo Ryu, formerly chief finance officer, will succeed Prakash Kolluri as chief executive officer. Kolluri has been appointed as president of the polymer business at Kraton Corp. and will continue to be on the Cariflex board of directors. Dr Philippe Henderson, previously VP sales & marketing, will assume a newly-created role as chief operating officer. In his expanded role, he will oversee sales, marketing, and research & development functions.

Yokohama Rubber Co. has changed the senior management of its Chinese operations, effective 28 March. Naoki Takahashi, formerly VP Yokohama Rubber (China) has been named as president of Hangzhou Qiantang Yokohama Tire, president of Hangzhou Yokohama Tire and VP Yokohama Rubber (China). Tomoyuki Okuno, formerly president of Hangzhou Qiantang Yokohama Tire, has taken over as assistant to president of Hangzhou Qiantang Yokohama Tire. Shigehiko Amano will serve as associate officer, in charge of conveyor belt China and Asia, vice chairman of Yokohama Rubber (China), vice chairman & president of Shandong Yokohama Rubber Industrial Products Co., Ltd. and chairman of Yokohama Industrial Products Sales – Shanghai.

Hankook Tire & Technology has introduced two co-CEOs to lead the company following a decision by chief executive Lee Soo-il to step down from his duties for ‘personal reasons’. Jongseon Ahn, formerly and head of management innovation division, and Lee Sang Hoon, head of marketing, took over the management of the Korean tire maker following a 26 March AGM. Read more

Pyrum Innovations has extended the contract of chief financial officer Kai Winkelmann until end of March 2030. The move, according to the German waste tire pyrolysis company, ensures continuity in the management of the company. Kai Winkelmann has been with the company since February 2021 and was appointed as CFO in April 2022. He is credited for his “significant contribution” to securing the company's financing, including the successful capital increase last year.

Balkrishna Industries Ltd has appointed Anette Sklarz Justice as head of marketing at BKT USA. The move aims to enhance brand recognition and visibility in the US market,” said the Indian off-highway tire maker. Sklarz Justice brings five years of marketing experience primarily in the HVAC manufacturing industry and will be based in Ohio.  Read more

Continental Tires has appointed Tansu Isik as CEO of Continental Tire the Americas LLC, to replace Dr Jochen Etzel who is retiring 1 May. The appointment also includes the role of head of Continental’s ‘business area replacement tires the Americas’, reporting directly to head of Continental Tires Christian Koetz.  Read more

Desma has appointed Georgios Dermentzakis as managing director sales & service, parent group Salzgitter AG has announced. Dermentzakis will be responsible for sales, export shipping, customer service, marketing, IT and data protection as well as quality management. He will also support Dr. Michael Zaunsupport, MD for the technical and operational areas, in his other management activities.  Read more

Jarno Honkanen has been appointed as VP, solutions & technology of Cimcorp Group, the Finnish automated systems group announced 11 March. With over two decades of experience in solution management, sales and software development at Cimcorp, Honkanen brings extensive knowledge and "fresh perspective" to the leadership team.  Read more

Corbas, France-based rubber moulding equipment specialist REP International has announced the upcoming appointment of Émilie Chirouze to the position of area sales manager. She will succeed Yves Poppé, who will retire at the end of March. Chirouze will become the main customer contact for France, Belgium, Luxembourg and French-speaking Switzerland. “After 10 years in the sales administration department, Émilie has acquired in-depth knowledge of REP machines and its customers,” said REP.

Kraton Corp. on 3 March announced the appointment of Prakash Kolluri as president of its Polymer business. Kolluri, it said, brings extensive experience in the polymer industry, having held leadership positions previously at Kraton and Cariflex - a Kraton spin-off under DL Chemical. As Cariflex CEO, he led the company’s global expansion in isoprene rubber latex, strengthening its market position in medical and speciality applications.

Semperit AG has prematurely extended the executive board mandate of chief financial officer Helmut Sorger for a period of three years until 30 Sept 2028. Sorger has been the Semperit CFO since October 2022. He has been credited for his role in “shaping the strategic realignment of Semperit as a leading supplier of industrial elastomers.” As of 1 March, Semperit’s executive board included: Karl Haider (CEO – until 31 March), Manfred Stanek (CEO-designate – CEO from 1 April), Helmut Sorger (CFO), Gerfried Eder (CIO).

Sri Lankan tire maker GRI has announced the appointment of Dr. Tharindu Atapattu as its next chief executive officer. With over 20 years of leadership experience, Atapattu has expertise in financial strategy, business turnarounds, and driving growth across multinational corporations, brands, and local enterprises. He holds a PhD in marketing, an MBA in finance, and honors degree in Engineering, as well as other business and leadership accreditations. Atapattu’s previous roles include serving as director/CEO of Swisstek Aluminum and Lanka Swisstek India.

Indian tire maker JK Tyre & Industries has announced that Anuj Kathuria, president (India) and a senior management personnel, has resigned for personal reasons. Effective 14 Feb, Kathuria has been relieved from these duties.

Denka Co. has announced that incumbent president and CEO Toshio Imai will move to the position of chairman and representative director, effective 1 April. Ikuo Ishida, currently director and managing executive officer, will take over as representative director, president & CEO. Read more

US-based rubber extrusion tooling specialist Guill Tool has recently appointed Joseph Guigli-led JCM Plastics Machinery as a sales representative firm covering its southeastern US territory. President/owner of Roswell, Georgia-based JCM, Guigli holds a BSc in mechanical engineering from the University of Vermont. He worked for over 17 years at Davis Standard in positions ranging from mechanical engineer, screw designer, product manager, to regional sales manager and then VP sales for the North American aftermarket.

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