Two senior Bridgestone appointments announced

Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations (BATO) has announced two key appointments, both of which take effect immediately. Saul Solomon, previously president of BATO’s US & Canada Commercial Tire Sales division, has been named president of Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations, Latin American Tire Division (BATO LA). Solomon succeeds Humberto Gomez, who announced his retirement from BATO LA last July. Ken Weaver, formerly chief financial officer of Bridgestone Americas, has succeeded Solomon as president of US & Canada Commercial Tire Sales at BATO.

Solomon joined Bridgestone/Firestone in 1993 as a senior counsel and later division general counsel, Corporate and International. In 1997, he assumed the role of division vice-president of Labor Relations. Solomon became vice-president and general counsel of Bridgestone Americas Holding, Inc. in 2000. In 2007, he led a transition team during Bridgestone Americas’ 2007 merger with Bandag Incorporated, and went on to serve as chairman, CEO and president of Bridgestone Bandag, LLC. In March 2008, Solomon was named president of Bridgestone Bandag Tire Solutions. In October 2008, Solomon was appointed to the position of president of US and Canada Commercial Tire Sales.

Weaver joined the Bridgestone Americas family of companies in 1982, becoming manager, Financial Systems, Firestone Credit Card. That same year he moved to the GCR Group (the company’s commercial tyre retail store operation) where he held various positions, including information systems director, controller and assistant national manager. In 1997, Weaver moved to Firestone Agricultural Tire to serve as director of finance. Later he became its national sales manager, and, in 2001, he was promoted to director, Sales & Marketing. In 2004, Weaver became controller of Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire, LLC and then vice-president of Finance a year later. In 2007, Weaver was promoted to the position of corporate controller, Bridgestone Americas Holding, Inc., a position he held until becoming chairman, CEO and president of FSDP in 2009. Earlier this year, Weaver was named Bridgestone America’s CFO.