Paolo Ferrari joins Higashi as Bridgestone’s Joint Global COO

On 18 April, the Board of Directors at Bridgestone Corporation decided to strengthen the company’s global management structure by appointing two joint global chief operating officers. Paolo Ferrari will join Masahiro Higashi, who has served as Bridgestone’s global chief operating officer since July 2020, in this capacity on 1 May 2022. Both report to Shu Ishibashi, Bridgestone Corporation’s global chief executive officer. Ferrari’s remit will expand to include responsibility for Bridgestone’s business in Europe.

The aim of this new management structure is to make Bridgestone more flexible and agile as a global entity – a change the company views as “imperative” considering events such as the situation in Ukraine and Russia. It will also facilitate global optimisation efforts in line with the company’s Mid Term Business Plan, which concludes in 2023.

Delivering results

“Two Global Joint COOs will be appointed as global business managements focusing on ‘execution’ and ‘delivering results’ with an ‘aggressive approach’ and ‘challenge’ spirit,” states Shu Ishibashi. “One is Masahiro Higashi, who is currently responsible for the global mining and aircraft tyre business, the Japanese tyre business, and the Japanese diversified products business. He will continue to lead Bridgestone’s global sustainability strategy and, effective May 1, expand his responsibilities to include the BSCAP (Bridgestone Asia Pacific) business, which is expected to generate synergies in the Bridgestone home market – Japan and Asia, where Bridgestone has a long history of success.

“The other is Paolo Ferrari, head of Global Solution Strategy and head of BSAM (Bridgestone Americas) business,” Ishibashi continues. “He will continue to lead the global solutions business strategy and, as of May 1, expand his responsibilities to include the BSEMIA (Bridgestone Europe, Middle East, India and Africa) business, where we expect synergies from the mature premium tyre and solutions businesses in the Americas and Europe.

“Both of them have contributed to the CX (corporate transformation) and business performance over the past two years, and I am confident that they will support the Global CEO as number two in this new and turbulent business stage and contribute to the enhancement of our corporate value.”

SBU structure remains

Shu Ishibashi explains that Bridgestone’s global management structure will retain the current SBU format, with the head of BSCAP reporting to Masahiro Higashi and the head of BSEMIA reporting to Paolo Ferrari.

“Through this strengthened executive structure, the Bridgestone Group is committed to the 8 Bridgestone-like values starting with the letter ‘E’ (Energy, Ecology, Efficiency, Extension, Economy, Emotion, Ease, and Empowerment) in the Bridgestone E8 Commitment. The Group will commit to creating the value to realise a sustainable society,” concludes Ishibashi.