Omni United has appointed Stéphane Clepkens as test manager. According to Omni United representatives, the move “reinforces the company’s mission to deliver premium products that have been rigorously tested against leading established brands…”. Stéphane will spearhead the entire tyre testing operations with both independent testing organizations and perform hands-on testing as a professional handling driver.
Indian tyre maker Tirupati Tyres Ltd has announced the resignation of both its Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Avinash Anil Ghorpade, and of company Chairman, Chander Prakash Sharma. These resignations are effective 3 December 2024. Additionally, Tirupati Tyres has appointed a new Managing Director and Chief Financial Officer; Pavan Patel has taken on this role for a period of five years, effective 2 December 2024.
Ex-Magowan Tyres salesman, Colin McCourt has recently joined Ring Automotive and will be primarily managing accounts on the island of Ireland, looking after both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. McCourt has more than 20 years experience in the aftermarket, including previous roles with Forte Lubricants, Magowan Tyres, Würth Ireland and Charles Hurst.
Effective 1 December 2024, Jongho Park has been appointed as chief operating officer (COO) and president for Hankook Tire Europe. Park will lead the premium tyre manufacturer’s operations in its key European market. He takes over the role from Sanghoon Lee, who will be assuming responsibility for Hankook Tire & Technology as president and Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
After Xiong Shunmin resigned, Triangle’s board of directors elected Gu Zhifu as a new member of the Strategic Development Committee.
ETB Autocentres has promoted its Exeter centre manager Tom Beazley to oversee six Cornish, Devon and Somerset branches as retail area manager. The 32-year-old, who has been working in the fast fit industry since the age of 16, has taken on the position after playing an instrumental role in the sustained success at the Exeter depot over the past three years. He will now be a point of contact for centres in Plymouth, Bridport, Bude, Taunton, Exeter and Launceston, assisting them with their daily outputs and providing regular support to improve performance.
Sophie Foucque has been appointed as CEO of Michelin Connected Fleet, Europe, Africa and Australia. Previously, she headed Michelin’s Mobility Intelligence Business Venture as group managing director, prior to which she supported several divisions in the fields of artificial intelligence and business change, during a career within Michelin Group spanning nearly 15 years. Specifically, Foucque was previously vice-president for M&A Strategy and Innovation in Michelin’s Services & Solutions division. She will now be based in London in her new role.
In light of the retirement of Cimcorp’s current CEO, Tero Peltomäki, the industrial automation specialist has announced that Veli-Matti Hakala will take over effective 1 January 2025. With over 25 years of experience in industry and technology, Veli-Matti Hakala first joined Cimcorp in 2016. During that time he has held diverse roles in the company from sales to management and last year became executive vice president.
The management of Shandong tyre manufacturer Firemax has changed, with Yue Hua replacing Guo Naiming as the new director, general manager and legal representative. Yue Hua was the deputy general manager of Firemax before becoming general manager.
Cimcorp has named Pekka Natri as its new Head of Region, North America. With nearly 30 years of experience in global business development, Natri has been “a dedicated member” of the Cimpcorp team since 2018.
In his new role, Natri will “align North American teams, functions, and partners. His focus will be on serving our customers locally while supporting global growth.”
Prometeon Tyre Group has appointed three new business development managers (BDMs). The move is said to underscore “Prometeon’s commitment to growth, enhancing support for customers, and building further partnerships”.
Orion S.A., which supplies speciality chemicals such as carbon black to automotive firms including tyremakers, has named Natalia Scherbakoff as the company’s new chief technology officer (CTO). Scherbakoff succeeds David Deters who previously led Orion’s global innovation program for over a decade. Deters announced his retirement earlier this year and will remain with Orion through the end of 2024.
Continental Tire the Americas has appointed Ashok Vedanayagam as head of marketing for Passenger and Truck Tires for the region covering North and South America. In this role, Vedanayagam is responsible for a broad portfolio including product management, marketing communications, public relations, e-business, market intelligence, pricing, and strategic planning for the Americas.
Diana Fernández has been appointed as Ascenso’s new marketing manager for European business. Prior to her appointment, Fernández led “the digital transformation of four UK and Ireland brands” within Bridgestone’s European operations, which reportedly “resulted in significant growth in website traffic leading to higher conversion rates”.
Triangle board member Xiong Shunmin has resigned for personal reasons. After resigning from being director and a member of the board’s strategic development committee, Xiong Shunmin no longer holds any position at the tyre manufacturer and its holding subsidiaries.
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