Bridgestone’s Franco Annunziato elected president of ETRMA

The board of directors of the European Tyre and Rubber Manufacturers’ Association (ETRMA), today elected Bridgestone EMEA’s vice president and senior advisor Franco Annunziato as president of the association. At the same meeting, Thierry du Granrut, from the Syndicat National du Caoutchouc et des Polymères, was confirmed as vice president for a second term. Both terms are effective as of 1 January 2018 for a three-year mandate. This is the first time that Bridgestone has held the presidency of the European association.

“The change at ETRMA’s helm comes at an interesting time for the industry with a new wave of regulatory initiatives that will engage the industry and the European institutions in the near future” said ETRMA’s secretary general, Fazilet Cinaralp, welcoming the new president. “On behalf of the Board, I would like to thank our outgoing president, Mr Kötz, who proved to be an engaged, driven and committed president, leading ETRMA through important successes, particularly with regard to market surveillance”.

Kötz, commented: “when I took office three years ago, I did so asking for a paradigm shift-from regulating to enforcing in order to achieve a level playing field and maintaining the competitiveness of the industry. With the launch in 2016 of MsTyr15 and the revision of the Approval and Market Surveillance of Motor Vehicles Regulation, I think the foundations have been laid for more effective, stronger market surveillance”.

Upon accepting the appointment, Annunziato thanked the board for this opportunity: “We look forward to continue the great work done so far by the association, to deal with the challenges that keep arising as well as to make the most of the opportunities. As Mr Kötz said, the path of our industry is clear: we keep innovating to care of our employees, the environment, and the consumers, to ensure the sustainability of the industry and the environment it works in, as ETRMA president I will continue to lead the association in this direction”.

The board of ETRMA also approved the membership of Prometeon Tyre S.r.l., as affiliate member from September 2017.