Former Continental Russia boss Barvinok heading Ikon Tyres’ R&D

Vladimir Barvinok, who was previously general director of Continental Tires Rus, is Ikon Tyres’ new director of product development. He joined Ikon Tyres on 25 September 2023 as head of the company’s new Product Development functional area, which includes product portfolio management, technical regulation and certification, innovation, as well as research and development.

Barvinok brings extensive tyre industry experience to his new role. He joined Continental in October 2007 as purchaser/sourcing manager for the CIS and Russia region and later served as marketing director and then sales director before becoming director general in February 2022. Prior to working for Continental, Barvinok spent almost five years with oil and gas company Slavneft.

“We understand that product development is critical to Ikon Tyres’ success in the tyre market,” states Andrey Pantyukhov, chief executive officer of Ikon Tyres. “It is important for us to launch new sizes for our customers and new modern products in a timely manner, both in the premium and mid-price segments.”

In an interview that Russian newspaper Kommersant published today, Pantyukhov answers a question that many may ask – why does Ikon Tyres need to establish an R&D department from scratch when parent company Tatneft has substantial tyre industry experience through its long association with Kama Tyres? The chief executive explains that this is necessary as Ikon Tyres operates in a “different segment” with “different products.”