ERJ Appointments Tracker

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

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. Read more

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 made a number of changes in the senior management of its Chinese operations, effective 28 March. These include the appointment of former VP Yokohama Rubber (China) as president of Hangzhou Qiantang Yokohama Tire, president of Hangzhou Yokohama Tire and VP Yokohama Rubber (China). Read more

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.

Continental’s Automotive group sector which is being carved out as an independently listed company, has appointed former head of quality and operations, Nino Romano as the new chief technology officer CTO, effective 1 Feb. Romano will consolidate technology and operations areas in the new CTO organisation while the “quality area” will be organised as an independent function in the future. Romano takes over the position from Gilles Mabire, who left the company at his own request in November last year.

Nokian Tyres has extended its management team with the addition of two new SVP positions to cover Europe and North America. Effective 1 March, Tommi Alhola will take over the responsibilities of passenger car tires, Central Europe, while Lauri Halme will be responsible for passenger car tires, North America.  Read more

Bridgestone Corp. has appointed a McLaren Racing executive to lead its motorsports operations as part of a renewed effort to increase its presence in the racing arena. Effective 1 March, Hiroshi Imai will join Bridgestone as EVP, taking over the responsibilities of the newly created ‘motorsports organisation’ for tire development and technology.  Read more

At a 30 Jan EGM, shareholders of Hyvinkää, Finland-based Reka Industrial elected four board executives: Markku Rentto, chairperson; Riitta Mynttinen, deputy chairperson and Matti Copeland and Riku Kytömäki as members of the board. No deputy members were elected.

Bridgestone has announced that senior executive and industry veteran Laurent Dartoux is retiring, effective 1 Feb. Currently VP and senior officer of Bridgestone Corp. and president of Bridgestone EMEA, Dartoux will serve in an advisory role following his retirement. Dartoux has 34 years of industry experience and has been working with Bridgestone for over a decade.

Continental Automotive group sector has appointed Karin Dohm as the future CFO to drive forward its strategy throughout the carve-out process. Dohm is currently CFO of the Hornbach Group and will join Continental Automotive 1 April. She will take over responsibility for the executive board function for accounting, controlling, treasury, tax, mergers & acquisitions and real estate management, investor relations and IT of the future independent Automotive business alongside the designated CEO Philipp von Hirschheydt.

Doublestar has named Zhang Xiaoxin as its new general manager, effective 20 Jan. Zhang brings 40 years of industry experience with him and served as executive VP of Aeolus Tire until recently.

Covestro has named Monique Buch as the new Chief Commercial Officer (CCO), effective 1 June. As the CCO, she will be responsible for the segment of solutions & specialities, leading six “business entities” including the supply chain centres in the three major regions.

Furthermore, effective 1 Feb, Dr Yun Chen will take over the leadership of European production for Covestro's Performance Materials (PM) business entity. Chen has three decades of experience working with Covestro and Bayer, in various global positions. Upon his appointment, he pointed to challenges faced by European chemical industry, saying he aimed to tap his Asian experience to make “production even more reliable and efficient and drive the transition to climate neutrality and a circular economy.”

Celanese Corp. has announced appointed Todd Elliott as SVP to lead its engineered materials business, effective 3 Feb. Elliot retired from Celanese in 2020 as SVP and head of the acetyls business. He will succeed Tom Kelly, who is stepping down as and will serve in a transition role through 10 March. Elliot has held multiple leadership roles at Celanese and has been working as an independent consultant for the past five year, providing advisory services related to M&A, financial and operational analysis, end-use applications and commercial go-to-market strategies.

Michelin has appointed Vitor Silva as president of the Africa, India, and Middle East (AIM) Region, to be based in Pune, India. Silva has worked with Michelin group for over 28 years, and was most recently, chief operating officer at service provide Euromaster. He has also held leadership positions within the Michelin Group in various domains such as two-wheel, truck, retread and distribution.

José-Maria Trujillano has joined Hutchinson SA as executive vice president of its C2S (composite to system) division. With over 20 years at Airbus in leadership roles across France, Spain, and the UK, Trujillano joined the COO office in 2020 and led strategic supply chain initiatives during the Covid-19 crisis.  Read more

Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. has appointed Don Metzelaar as senior vice president, global manufacturing and supply chain, effective 13 Jan. With over 30 years’ experience leading major manufacturing companies, Metzelaar most recently served as chief manufacturing officer and global vice president of Johnson Controls Int. He has also held operations leadership roles at Whirlpool Corp., Honeywell Int. and Motorola. 

London-headquartered Synthomer plc has confirmed that, as previously announced, Caroline Johnstone stood down as a non-executive and chair of the company, with Peter Hill succeeding her as chair, on 1 Jan. 

Ralf Mühlenberg has joined the executive board for the technical division within the Hoffmann Group, which includes Sonax, Hoffmann Mineral and Duro Druck. Mühlenberg most recently served as COO at the Dalli Group, responsible for the overall management of seven production sites across four countries, as well as logistics, production, engineering, facility-management and SHEQ units. He previously managed various company production sites for 15 years as technical director, added Hoffmann. Mühlenberg has a degree in business administration.

Continental AG’s executive board member for finance, integrity and law Olaf Schick is stepping down from his position early. Until his departure on 30 Sept 2025, Schick ‘will remain committed to driving forward the planned spin-off and listing of Continental’s ‘automotive group sector’. Schick joined Continental’s executive board member for integrity and law in May 2023 and has been the group’s chief financial officer since 1 July.  Read more

Milan, Italy-based Prometeon Tyre Group has appointed deputy general manager Yuan Liang as general manager of the company following the departure of Roberto Righi. The Aeolus-controlled commercial tire maker said it will continue to pursue “a market-oriented strategy” under Liang, with “a steadfast focus on customers, products, and technology.”

Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd has announced the appointment of Angelo Noronha as president and chief executive officer – Yokohama ATG, with effect from 1 Jan 2025. Noronha is currently president – global aftermarket business – ATG.

At Freudenberg Sealing Technologies, Matthias Arnold has taken on overall responsibility for the global distribution sector within its industrial services division as of 1 Nov. Arnold succeeded José Caro, who retired after almost 20 years with Freudenberg. And, with effect from 1 Jan 2025, Jan Witte, currently vice president regional business unit Europe, will take over as senior vice president of the accumulator division. Antoine Desbordes will succeed Witte as vice president RBU Europe.

The European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) has elected Mercedes-Benz Group chairman Ola Källenius as its new president, from 1 Jan 2025 - taking over from Renault Group CEO Luca de Meo, who has held the position for the last two years. During his presidency, Källenius said ACEA will focus on: improving regulatory conditions to sharpen our competitive edge; fostering market-driven decarbonisation; and championing "international trade that is free, fair and rule-based.”

Halcyon Agri Corp. Ltd has announced the resignation of Ng Eng Kiat as managing director of Halcyon Rubber Co. with effect from 2 Dec. “Mr Ng has resigned from the company due to personal reasons and to pursue other professional opportunities," Halcyon Agri stated in a 4 Dec SGX filing. In October, Halcyon Agri announced the departure “by mutual agreement” of Andrew Trevatt, chief commercial officer, Corrie MacColl Group.

Celanese Corp.’s current chief operating officer (COO) Scott Richardson is to takeover as CEO, and join the company’s board of directors, effective 1 Jan, 2025. He will succeed Lori Ryerkerk, who is stepping down as chairman, CEO and director of Celanese at the end of the year, said the group’s 9 Dec announcement.  Read more

Dow Inc. has appointed Karen Carter, president of Dow packaging & speciality plastics, as chief operating officer. Carter will be responsible for driving business and operational performance across the organisation with a focus on strengthening customer engagement and relationships, said Dow 3 Dec.  Read more

Finnish supplier of materials recycling equipment Tana Oy has appointed Anu Söderena as manager, Baltics & Nordics, effective 10 Dec. Söderena was previously a business development manager at Kuusakoski Recycling, managing a recycling plant investment project, among other roles. She holds an MSc in materials engineering and an MBA.

Cefic has re-elected Dr Ilham Kadri, CEO of Syensqo, as president for a new two-year term, effective 14 Nov. Dr Kadri, said Cefic, will pursue the mission of “fostering a sustainable and competitive chemical industry in Europe and beyond.” Upon her re-election Kadri said she remained committed to supporting the sector’s “[green] transition while ensuring Europe remains a competitive hub for innovation, investment, and opportunity.”

Cimcorp has recently announced the appointment of Veli-Matti Hakala as CEO, replacing Tero Peltomäki, who is retiring from the top role, while continuing to serve on the board of directors. With over 25 years of experience in industry and technology, Veli-Matti Hakala first joined Cimcorp in 2016, working in roles ranging from sales to management before becoming executive vice president last year. In addition to Hakala’s promotion, Cimcorp has also appointed Tommi Kumlander as Deputy CEO and Jarno Honkanen as VP, Solutions & Technology, effective Jan. 1, 2025.

Houston, Texas-based International Institute of Synthetic Rubber Producers (IISRP) has appointed Michael Ulbrich as sustainability advisor. Ulbrich is a management consultant and trainer with more than two decades of professional experience. He has led Accenture’s sustainability services for chemicals globally for numerous years. Ulbrich holds a Dipl.-Ing. (Master of Engineering equivalent) degree from Technische Universität Berlin, Germany, and an MBA from INSEAD, France/Singapore. He is a certified six sigma black belt.

Ostfildern-Kemnat, Germany-based Dr. Neidlinger Holding GmbH has appointed a new team to take over management of group companies Wevo-Chemie and Zelu Chemie - led by Dr Frank Naumann as CEO; Jochen Frank, CTO; Marcus Rausch, CFO; and Daniel Thomas, COO. Naumann has held senior roles at Henkel and Neste Oil and was most recently CEO of CHT Group. Frank was previously CEO of Wevo and Rausch its former CFO, while Thomas was CEO of Zelu. Wevo makes E&E potting compounds, adhesives and sealants based on PU, epoxy and silicone. Zelu makes PU foam systems and adhesives for filters, automotive, transport and furniture uses, at Murr near Ludwigsburg.

Adhesives major H.B. Fuller Co. has appointed Terry Rasmussen as chair of the company’s board of directors following the retirement of Lee Mitau, effective 22 Jan, 2025. Rasmussen joined the H.B. Fuller board in 2020 and currently serves as president and chief executive officer of Thrivent, a Fortune 500 diversified financial services organisation. Read more

Greene Tweed has recently appointed Adam Phan as the company’s new general manager of its sealing systems business. Phan brings more than two decades of extensive cross-functional leadership and industry experience in aerospace and defence to his new position. Most recently, he served as VP and general manager of space, aerospace, and defense at Fralock.  Read more

HF has announced the appointment of a new sales director for India. “Anil Nair has joined our team to help accelerate the promotion of our latest curing innovations in the Indian market,” Ian Wilson, co-CEO at the Hamburg, Germany-based machinery group said in a recent press statement. New technical advances at HF include the development of fully-electric tire curing technology. (ERJ report)

Orion SA has appointed Natalia Scherbakoff from Trinseo as the company’s new chief technology officer, the US-based carbon black supplier. Scherbakoff will succeed CTO for almost a decade David Deters, who is retiring. At Trinseo, Scherbakoff was VP technology & innovation, overseeing global R&D and technology innovation with particular focus on sustainability. Read more

Freudenberg Group has named Claus Moehlenkamp as the head of the group, taking over from Dr Mohsen Sohi, who is retiring 30 June 2025. An experienced Freudenberg executive, Moehlenkamp has worked with Freudenberg for 30 years, including as the CEO of Freudenberg Sealing Technologies. Read more

Qingado Doublestar’s director and general manager Su Ming has stepped down from his positions at the Chinese tire & rubber group, effective immediately. In a stock exchange filing 10 Oct, the Chinese tire & rubber group said Su Ming had resigned from the positions and any other role at the group “due to personal reasons” and will no longer hold any position within the company.

Nokian Tyres has confirmed an earlier announcement that Paolo Pompei will take over as president and CEO of the tire maker, effective 1 Jan 2025. Read more

Scandinavian Enviro Systems has appointed Fredrik Aaben as new CFO. Aaben joins Enviro from his role of head of corporate finance at Volvo Cars, where he held a number of managerial positions in finance, M&A and strategy. Aaben will take up his position in November 2024 and will work in parallel with the current interim CFO Christian Bergaust for a transitional period. He holds an MSc in management and economics of innovation from Chalmers University of Technology.

Datwyler Holding is nominating Britt Hendriksen for election as a new member of the board and as a representative of the public shareholders at its next AGM, 18 March 2025. Hendriksen is currently CFO of Unilabs, a leading provider of laboratory, imaging and pathology diagnostic service. She has previously held various global management positions at Novartis, including as CFO global drug development and as regional CFO & head strategy China, Asia Pacific, Middle East & African countries.

Bridgestone (China) Investment Co. has named Zhao Laihong as its general manager, effective 1 Jan 2025. He replaces Augustine Pedroni who will be transferred to the position of managing director of Bridgestone Group and president of Bridgestone Asia Pacific, India and China. Read more

Pirelli & C. SpA has named Livio Magni as SVP Europe, effective June. Magni joined Pirelli in 2008 and also holds the position of UK CEO in the Italian group. Read more

Anna Hyvoenen, Nokian Tyres’ EVP passenger car tires and Vianor, is stepping down from her position, effective July 2025. Hyvoenen joined Nokian as head of Vianor aftermarket service and was later appointed to lead the passenger car tire segment in September 2022. She has been commended for “excellent work in a challenging environment, building Nokian Tyres future success.”

FINLAND: European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has elected its Sofia Zisi to lead its management board for the next two years. Zisi is the director general of the Greek state-owned General Chemical State Laboratory. She succeeds Paul Krajnik from the Austria. In her new role, Zisi said she will help implement EU priorities for chemical safety and deliver the EU’s strategic objectives.

BELGIUM: Paolo Ferrari, currently Bridgestone executive officer, joint global chief operating office, Bridgestone West CEO and concurrently global chief digital transformation officer is stepping down from his position at the end of October. Read more

INDIA: Balkrishna Industries Ltd is strengthening its OEM strategy with the creation of a new role to support the goal. The Indian off-highway tire maker has appointed Ludovic Revel as president global OEM to support its growth strategy in the original equipment channel and consolidate brand visibility among the major global players, said BKT 26 Sept. Read more

AUSTRIA: Semperit AG Holding has appointed Manfred Stanek as the new chief executive of the Austrian group. Stanek is joining the industrial elastomer group from Greiner AG and will spend a transition month between 1 March and 1 April before taking over as the CEO. Read more

INDIA: Ceat Ltd has appointed Kunjan Chikhlikar as SVP global head of research and development technology, to replace Peter Becker, who has decided to move to an advisory role, effective 11 Sept. Kunjan Chikhlikar has been with Ceat parent group RPG Enterprises since March 2016 where he has overseen the establishment of several new ventures, including group including TyresnMore and E-Fleet Systems.

US: Seals manufacturer Greene Tweed has named Adam Phan as the new general manager of its ‘sealing systems’ division. Phan brings more than two decades of experience in aerospace and defence and will guide the division’s strategies, technology development, and operational footprint. Most recently, Phan served as VP and GM of space, aerospace, and defence at Fralock, a solutions provider of engineered components. Previously, he held senior strategic roles elsewhere in the aerospace and defence industry. Phan holds BS degrees in engineering physics and chemistry from Hope College, as well as an MBA in international business from Wayne State University.

GERMANY: Standard Profil has announced the appointment of Ulrich-Nikolaus Kranz to the management board of the SP Group as its new chief financial officer (CFO). As of 16 Sept, Kranz “assumes responsibility for the financial functions and IT operations of Standard Profil,” said the company’s statement. Kranz, it said, holds degrees in  business administration and law and has held senior positions at automotive-suppliers, such as Kiekert AG and Schlemmer Group.  Read more

INDIA: Apollo Tyres has appointed Alexandra Matuko as head of its ‘cluster central Europe’, succeeding Tobias Morbitzer, who becomes head of marketing Europe. Apollo said the “strategic” appointment would help “enhance its presence” in Germany, Switzerland and Denmark. Matuko has 18 years’ experience in the international automotive industry, including in senior sales & marketing roles with automotive manufacturers. Most recently, she was a business manager at Opel Automobile GmbH, where she helped expand international business and global brand activities. Matuko will report directly to Yves Pouliquen, VP commercial, Europe at Apollo Tyres.

US: Henning Karbstein will be take over the management of Kraiburg TPE for the North, Central and South America region as of 1 Oct, the German group has announced. He will manage the operational business of the TPE manufacturer from its US location in Buford, Georgia. According to Kraiburg TPE, Karbstein has "extensive experience" in the automotive and engineering sectors. He succeeds Jeff Frankish, who is retiring after 17 years with the group.   Read more

Germany: Continental AG has appointed Lisa Reiners as product manager for agricultural tires in Continental Specialty Tires, effective 1 Aug. She previously worked for more than eight years as product manager for private brands in Continental’s passenger and light truck tires (PLT) business unit.  Read more

Belgium: Bekaert SA has named Seppo Parvi as its new chief financial officer (CFO), effective 1 Nov. He will succeed Taoufiq Boussaid who is stepping down from his role on 31 Oct “to pursue new opportunities,” Bekaert announced. Read more

France: French chemicals group Arkema has announced a series of management changes, taking effect between September and October. Sophie Fouillat has been appointed as the group’s EVP strategy, effective 1 Oct, replacing Bernard Boyer who is retiring. Tilo Quink joined the group 1 Sept to take up the post of SVP performance additives, a position previously held by Laurent Tellier. Tellier has been appointed SVP high performance polymers and fluorogases effective 1 Sept. He replaces Erwoan Pezron who becomes advisor to the chairman and CEO while remaining a member of the executive committee until his retirement at the end of the year.

US: Sustainable carbon black manufacturer Monolith has promoted James Premkumar to VP finance. Premkumar joined Monolith in 2019 and has been involved in the execution, negotiation and coordination of several financial projects. In his new role will oversee a team managing strategic planning, investor relations, financial analysis, project development and fundraising efforts.

US: Roxanna Bauza Petrovic has been elected managing director and CEO of the International Institute of Synthetic Rubber Producers. She replaces long-time leader Juan Ramon Salinas who has decided to retire, said a 28 Aug press statement from the Houston-based industry association. With extensive experience in the synthetic rubber industry, Petrovic was invited to join the IISRP as the general director of programs in 2012.   Read more

ERJ Appointments Tracker - July/August 2024