Goodyear names Zekoski Sr. VP, Global Ops

AKRON (Aug. 31, 2016) — Goodyear has named Joe Zekoski, senior vice president and chief technical officer since 2015, to succeed Gregory Smith as senior vice president, global operations, effective Aug. 17.

Goodyear did not elaborate on the reasons for the change, which it disclosed in recent 8-K filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Mr. Smith, hired in September 2011 for the global operations position, will leave the company officially Dec. 15.

In his new role, Mr. Zekoski is responsible for providing corporate leadership in the strategic areas of technology, supply chain, logistics, procurement, manufacturing, engineering and the quality of Goodyear's products, Goodyear said.

Prior to joining Goodyear, Mr. Smith was executive vice president of supply chain at ConAgra Foods Inc.

Effective Sept. 1, Goodyear said in the 8-K filing, Mr. Smith's annual base salary will be reduced to $466,100 from $565,000. His total compensation last year was $4.47 million, according to Crain's Cleveland Business list of Northeast Ohio's highest-paid non-CEOs.

Mr. Zekoski began his career with Goodyear in 1979 as a commercial truck tire engineer in Akron. That led to leadership positions in commercial truck tire development in Luxembourg and Akron. Later he served as chief engineer of tire development for the Asian original equipment manufacturers and also spent time working in Goodyear's Engineered Products Division.

From 2006-08, he led Goodyear's Innovation Center in Luxembourg and then was vice president of global product development and Innovation Center operations from 2008-15. He was named interim chief technical officer in 2012 before being promoted to senior vice president and chief technical officer in 2015.