Pirelli Promotes Three Vice Presidents

Three managers involved in the growth of Pirelli Tire North America over the past four years were honoured recently with promotion to vice president. Steve Carpino has been named head of R&D and product development; John Hagan is in charge of original equipment; and Andrew Kearton is responsible for manufacturing.

Kearton joined Pirelli in 1984, four years before his graduation from England’s Carlisle College with a degree in electrical and electronic engineering. He has spent his career in operations — including five years in Italy, working as a quality engineer, production manager and director of manufacturing — before being chosen as the person responsible for the construction of Pirelli’s MIRS robotic facility in Rome. Since the plant was inaugurated in 2002, Kearton has been its only director of manufacturing, overseeing the installation of four MIRS (Modular Integrated Robotized System) modules through this June, according to local news sources.

Carpino has spent virtually his entire career in the tyre industry since graduating from the University of Missouri in 1974 with a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry. He joined Armstrong Rubber Co. in 1983 as manager of process technology. When Pirelli purchased Armstrong in 1988, Carpino became manager of the car/light truck design group and eventually director of product engineering in 1998. In 2002, he was promoted to director of research and development where he was responsible product development and manufacturing technical support, as well compound, material and tire testing.

John Hagan joined Pirelli in 1989, shortly after graduation from Quinnipiac University in Connecticut with a Bachelor of Science degree in finance. His early years included stints as credit manager, financial analyst, customer service manager and Northeast territory manager before managing the Sears Tire Group account, Pirelli’s largest account in the world. In 1998, he was appointed director of original equipment sales based in Detroit, Michigan, where he was responsible for working with the purchasing personnel and automotive engineers to develop original equipment fitments.