New MD for Kumho Technical Centre

Kumho Tires has appointed Roger Jenkins as managing director of its Kumho Europe Technical Centre (KETC). He joins the Birmingham-based R&D facility from Goodyear Dunlop where he was manager of the Dunlop Technical Division based at Fort Dunlop.

With a career in the tyre industry spanning 25 years, Jenkins graduated in agricultural engineering from Silsoe, part of Cranfield University. After joining Dunlop in 1981 as a vehicle test engineer, he moved to Dunlop Motorsport three years later, where he rose to the position of chief designer. In 1992 Jenkins transferred to mainstream tyre design, specialising in Japanese and European passenger car tyre OE development. Following the Goodyear/Dunlop joint venture, he headed up a core team of designers and test engineers focusing on the company’s prestigious UK customers, notably Jaguar.

Commenting on his new position, Roger said, “I’m very much looking forward to working with Kumho; we have clear ambitions to improve our position in the European market even further and become a force to be reckoned with.”

Roger Jenkins is married with three children and lists his hobbies as motorsport (he competed in the 2002 Arras-Dakar Rally) and horseriding.

Kumho Tires operates three regional tyre research facilities in the United States, the UK and China, each reporting into the company’s R&D headquarters in Gwangju, Korea. Opened in 1998, KETC established a branch office in Hamburg earlier this year.