Lanxess shares that Matthias Zachert, named Axel Heitmann’s successor as Board of Management chairman following the latter’s departure from the specialty chemicals firm at the end of February, will resume his career with the company on 1 April. Zachert is currently chief financial officer of Merck KGaA and the functions he will take on at Lanxess are at present being performed by chief financial officer Bernhard Düttmann.
Toyo Tire & Rubber gives word that the chairman of its Board of Directors Kenji Nakakura will relinquish this role on 28 March 2014. The 64-year old will be named an executive emeritus of the company. Nakakura commenced as chairman and representative director on 28 March 2013.
On 1 July 2014, Klaus Deller will take over from Klaus Rosenfeld as chief executive officer of major Continental shareholder Schaeffler AG; Rosenfeld has held this office on an interim basis since the departure of Jürgen M. Geißinger last year. Deller will also become a member of the Board of Directors of INA-Holding. The appointment was confirmed by Schaeffler’s Supervisory Board yesterday.
Pirelli & C. SpA has announced that the Board of Directors meeting it scheduled to review results for the year ended 31 December 2013 will now take place on Thursday 27 March 2014 and no longer on Tuesday 11 March, as previously announced. The company says this change follows the announcement from Prelios SpA – a real estate sector company that Pirelli is shareholder of – that it has postponed its Board of Directors’ meeting to review results for the year ended 31 December 2013 until 25 March 2014.
The vacancy in Bridgestone Americas’ senior management created by Eduardo Minardi’s impending departure for Europe will be filled by Gordon Knapp. Effective 1 March, he will assume the role of chief executive officer of Bridgestone Americas and chairman, CEO and president of Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations. Until a successor is appointed for his current position, Knapp will also continue as president of North American Consumer Tire at Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations.
Marco Tronchetti Provera has already indicated he will divest his family’s share in Pirelli some time in the next few years, however the Italian tyre maker’s chairman and CEO has quashed speculation that he has received a proposal regarding a potential Pirelli sale. In a statement written on 29 January and published by Reuters, Tronchetti Provera described suggestions of a change in Pirelli’s ownership structure as “pure fantasy”.
The Board of Directors at Titan International, Inc. has approved the promotion of Paul Reitz from his current position as the company’s chief financial officer to the open position of president. Reitz’s promotion takes effect 3 February. Taking his place as chief financial officer is John Hrudicka, who was previously presiding chief financial officer at Elkay Manufacturing.
Effective 28 February 2014, Axel C. Heitmann will step down as member and chairman of the Lanxess AG Board of Management. His successor will be Matthias Zachert, who served as chief financial officer at Lanxess between 2004 and 2011 and is currently chief financial officer at Merck KGaA. Zachert will begin his new role at Lanxess not later than 15 May 2014. Prior to Zachert joining the Lanxess Board of Management, current Lanxess chief financial officer Bernhard Düttmann will carry out Heitmann’s responsibilities.
The Australian Open has begun in Melbourne, and for the fourth year in a row Maxxis is on board as an official sponsor. It is also the ‘official tyre’ of the Australian Open. Under the terms of its sponsorship deal Maxxis signage is present in Rod Laver Arena (centre court), and the tyre maker is entitled to use the Australian Open logo in marketing materials and promotional activities.
Rainer Binder, one of the two founders of online tyre dealer Delticom AG, was appointed to the company’s Supervisory Board, effective 1 January 2014, by the district court (Amtsgericht) in Hanover, Germany. At its meeting on the following day, the Delticom Supervisory Board elected Binder its chairman. He has swapped roles with Andreas Prüfer, who on 1 January 2014 rejoined the company’s Management Board and was appointed co-CEO.
Lanxess has celebrated 50 years of butyl rubber production at its Zwijndrecht plant in Belgium. Festivities surrounding the milestone were rounded off by a plant visit from board member Rainer van Roessel on 17 December.
Goodyear Tire & Rubber’s Board of Directors has elected two members of the company’s finance leadership team to new roles. Scott Honnold, vice-president and treasurer, was elected vice-president, Business Development. Tom Kaczynski, vice-president, Investor Relations, was elected vice-president, Treasurer & Investor Relations. The changes take effect 1 January 2014.
Participants at today’s meeting of Continental AG’s Supervisory Board have agreed to extend the contract of Executive Board member Heinz-Gerhard Wente until 30 April 2015. The 62-year old has been responsible for ContiTech division since October 2008 and for Corporate Purchasing since 1 August 2011. He was first appointed to Continental’s Executive Board on 3 May 2007.
The Board of Directors of Titan International has approved a quarterly cash dividend of US$.005 (one half cent) per common share for the fourth quarter of 2013. The cash dividend is payable 15 January 2014, to stockholders of record on 31 December 2013.
The European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) has elected PSA Peugeot Citroën CEO Philippe Varin as its new president. Varin’s appointment to the role was made following an ACEA Board of Directors meeting on 6 December; he will lead the ACEA until the end of his mandate as CEO of PSA Peugeot Citroën. The Board will announce Varin’s successor at that time.
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