NASHVILLE, Tenn. (June 6, 2011) — Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations (BATO) has hired Philip Dobbs to fill new position of chief marketing officer (CMO) for its U.S. and Canada Consumer Tire operation, effective today.
Mr. Dobbs, most recently CMO of TruGreen Companies L.L.C., will lead the development and implementation of an integrated marketing strategy across BATO's consumer tire business, the Nashville-based tire maker said, and “ensure that the strategy is consistent with the company's brand image and promise.” He will manage the unit's marketing activities “through well-defined, centralized marketing resources and clear points of connection with other marketing resources dedicated to each key channel,” BATO added.
“We have been searching for a candidate who brings a breadth of targeted experiences while at the same time is a great fit with our overall strategy, operations and consumer team,” said Larry Magee, BATO's president, U.S. and Canada Consumer Tire.
“Philip's career to date in marketing and management is nothing short of impressive, having had a hand in promoting, branding and advertising some of America's most well-known consumer brands and products, including TruGreen, Sealy, Cadbury, Heinz, Kraft and Fruit of the Loom.
“His achievements in marketing and management are in addition to the leadership skills he demonstrated during his service as an officer in the U.S. Navy. Philip will bring a wealth of experience as he becomes the first person to serve in this new role at Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations.”
Mr. Dobbs said he's “honored to join the almost 50,000 Bridgestone Americas teammates across the Americas in their efforts to help this great company become the clear leader in its industries. This company's brands and products have been household names for decades, touching areas of American culture from radio to racing and from streets to sports. I'm excited to be a part of where we go from here.”
At TruGreen, a national commercial and residential lawn and land care business that's part of the ServiceMaster Co., Mr. Dobbs was CMO since 2009. He led all branding, advertising and customer acquisition activities and also had a lead role in long-term strategic planning and business growth efforts as well as a comprehensive brand re-launch for the TruGreen brand.
Prior to that, he spent five years at Sealy Inc. as senior vice president, marketing and merchandising. During that time, he led the marketing and merchandising team with responsibility for all product and marketing initiatives and also was a member of the executive team that successfully completed an initial public offering in April 2006.
Mr. Dobbs also was senior vice president, marketing, for Cadbury-Schweppes; was managing director, Heinz Pet Food, at H.J. Heinz; and held various positions at Fruit of the Loom, rising to senior vice president, marketing, packaged products. From 1991 to 1996, upon leaving the U.S. Navy, he held a series of marketing and sales positions of increasing responsibility at Kraft Foods, eventually becoming brand manager for Minute Rice.
He did his undergraduate work at the United States Naval Academy and earned his MBA from The Fuqua School of Business at Duke University, according to BATO.