New year, new chairman: Cho Hyun-bum takes the reins at Hankook & Company
Cho Hyun-bum has been officially inaugurated as chairman of Hankook & Company, holding firm for Hankook Tire & Technology. Hyun-bum is the younger son of former chairman Cho Yang-rai, who becomes the company’s honorary chairman.
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Varta expands executive board to include Technology Department
Battery manufacturer Varta AG has enlarged its executive board to include Rainer Hald, the company’s 52-year-old Chief Technology Officer (CTO) as the third member of the body alongside Armin Hessenberger (CFO) and the Chairman, Herbert Schein (CEO) effective 1 January 2022.
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Autodoc appoints new VP of brand management
Autodoc has appointed Moritz Diekmann as vice president brand management responsible for the development and implementation of then the online auto part retailer’s brand strategy. Within that role, the 49-year-old will develop the Autodoc brand as well as its own brands Ridex and Stark. According to the company, an international team of marketing experts in Berlin and Odessa is available to him for this purpose. Diekmann reports directly to CEO Christian Gisy.
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Brembo shareholders approve new governance structure
The General Shareholders’ Meeting of Brembo approved its new corporate governance on 17 December 2021. In short, the move means, the previously-announced plans to Matteo Tiraboschi, executive chairman of Brembo S.p.A.; Daniele Schillaci, CEO; and Alberto Bombassei, chairman emeritus have been given the green light.
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Pearl Global appoints CEO
Australian waste tyre processor Pearl Global Limited, a firm claiming to possess a proprietary technology superior to traditional pyrolysis, has appointed a new chief executive officer. David Wheeley will commence in this capacity on 1 February 2022.
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Continental Tyres expanding training capabilities in 2022
Continental Tyres is growing its in-house ‘ContiAcademy’ training centre following an increase in demand for courses this year. Situated in Lutterworth, Leicestershire, the ContiAcademy will benefit from a larger and newly refurbished classroom and additional breakout room to accommodate larger groups in accordance with COVID-safety measures.
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Continental appoints EMEA, APAC regional replacement tyres heads
Continental has announced new heads for its passenger car and truck tyre replacement business in the EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa) and APAC (Asia-Pacific) regions. Ferdinand Hoyos (45) will manage Continental’s EMEA replacement tyre business, while Dalibor Kalina (47) will take over Hoyos’s former role as APAC head. The appointees will take up their new positions on 1 January, 2022. Hoyos has been heading Continental’s replacement tyre business in the APAC region since 2018. He succeeds Philipp v. Hirschheydt (47), who is moving to Continental’s Automotive group sector.
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Prometeon UK appoints North East BDM
Prometeon Tyre Group UK has appointed Jamie Courtnage as Business Development Manager for the North East. He is responsible for new business and account management for Prometeon’s customer base of truck, bus and coach operators and tyre dealers in the eastern part of the country from Norwich to the Scottish Borders.
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Prometeon ramps up tyre production in Gravataí, Brazil
Prometeon announced plans to increase production at its Gravatai, Rio Grande du Sul, Brazil at the end of September. According to several local news sources, the expansion plans were announced during a meeting with local Governor Eduardo Leite at the Piratini Palace.
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Continental appoints Katja Dürrfeld chief financial officer
Continental has appointed Katja Dürrfeld (49) as its new chief financial officer, effective from 14 December 2021. Dürrfeld assumes responsibility for group finance and controlling as well as group information technology immediately, taking over from interim CFO Nikolai Setzer. Setzer had added the role to his existing duties following the departure of Wolfgang Schäfer on 17 November, while Dürrfeld had held the provisional management of these areas below the executive board level. Currently head of Finance, Controlling and Information Technology for the ContiTech business area, she will also take charge of finance and controlling in the future automotive group sector from 1 January, 2022, as was previously announced at the end of September. The supervisory board has also extended the appointment of Dr Ariane Reinhart (52) as executive board member for human relations and sustainability and director of labour relations.
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John Howe named Michelin UK & Ireland MD
Michelin Tyre plc has appointed John Howe as Managing Director for the UK & Ireland, with effect from 1 January 2022. He will also hold the role of B2C Sales Director, with responsibility for the company’s car, motorcycle and bicycle markets.
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France: Michelin, unions sign telework agreement
Michelin and labour unions have signed various successive telework deals covering its workforce in France since 2019 and worked together since the start of the Covid-19 crisis to develop a teleworking vision, strategy and arrangements. On 2 December, senior Michelin management and representatives from four unions signed a new telework agreement.
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NASCAR award for Goodyear motorsport chief
US motorsport entity the National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) has bestowed Goodyear’s Stu Grant its 2021 Buddy Shuman Award. The general manager for global race tyres at The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company gained this accolade at the organisation’s annual awards celebration on Saturday.
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Goodyear’s Malaysian tyre plant under investigation
Goodyear Tire & Rubber Cos Malaysian tyre factory has been under scrutiny for at least two years following questions relating to working conditions. At the end of November, US Department of Homeland Security officials interviewed local staff as part of investigations that “could lead to US prosecutions”, according to Reuters, which added Goodyear faces “related lawsuits and two ongoing investigations by regulators in Malaysia and the United States, each looking into potential exploitation of foreign workers.” In response to the investigation and related reporting, Goodyear issued the following statement: “Goodyear takes seriously any allegations of improper behaviour and is committed to ensuring that our business practices and those of our associates, our supply chain, and our vendors adhere to both our policies and all applicable legal requirements.”
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Halfords ‘motoring revenue’ will be 70% post National Tyres acquisition
According to Halfords, the acquisition of National Tyres delivers “on its strategy to become a Motoring Services focused business”. Halfords Autocentres has always been amongst the most profitable parts of the overall Halfords Group businesses and financial figures have consistently shown that autocentre-related revenue is amongst the fastest-growing parts of the group. But what the National Tyres acquisition specifically means is that what Halfords terms “motoring revenue” will “represent more than 70 per cent of Group pro-forma revenue”.
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