Goodyear taps Stellantis for new CEO, president

Akron, Ohio – Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. has appointed Mark Stewart as its chief executive officer and president, and as a board director, effective 29 Jan.

He will replace CEO, president and chairman Richard Kramer, who announced his planned retirement in November last year, after 24 years of service at the US tire maker.

Laurette Koellner, independent lead director of Goodyear’s board since 2019, will become non-executive board chair, added the Akron-based group 18 Jan announcement.

Stewart joins Goodyear from automotive major Stellantis, where he served as chief operating officer (COO) for North America and a member of its group executive council.

According to the Goodyear statement, he led a business unit with more than 88,000 employees and sales of over €82 million and has been particularly focussed on the transition to electric vehicles.

Under his leadership at Stellantis, the region enjoyed “significant, industry-leading increases in both margin and cash-flow, despite semiconductor shortages and a hyper-competitive US market,” Goodyear added.

Previously, Stewart worked as VP customer fulfilment at Amazon, where he led operations, procurement, construction and engineering and teams dedicated to pursuing automation, AI and advanced robotics.

Prior to Amazon, Stewart was EVP and COO for ZF TRW Automotive, a company where he served for two decades in various roles.

Stewart is “the ideal CEO for Goodyear” as the group implements the Goodyear Forward plan to deliver long-term shareholder value, according to Koellner.

He is, added Koellner, a “seasoned automotive executive and proven operator” and brings the “perfect mix of” international experience with history of managing business cycles and operational expertise.

Kramer will continue to serve Goodyear in an advisory capacity to ensure a smooth transition.

In addition to Kramer, two other key executives of Goodyear have also announced plans to retire recently.

As reported by ERJ, Stephen McClellan, president Americas, is retiring from the group effective 1 April, while EVP and chief administrative officer Darren Wells is set to retire by the end of February. (ERJ report)