Bridgestone adds Americas role to Ferrari's duties

BRUSSELS — Bridgestone Corp. is promoting Paolo Ferrari, the former head of Pirelli Tire North America who's been with Bridgestone since 2016, to chairman of Bridgestone Americas Inc., in addition to his current duties as CEO and president of Bridgestone Europe N.V./S.A.

Mr. Ferrari also is senior vice president and executive officer at the parent company.

Prior to joining Bridgestone, he held various management roles with Pirelli in North America, Europe and Latin America, including CEO of the Italian tire maker's LatAm division.

His promotion is among five executive changes Bridgestone is making, effective Jan. 1, that were set into motion by the impending retirement of Eduardo Minardi, executive vice president and executive officer of Bridgestone Corp. and chairman of both Bridgestone Europe and Bridgestone Americas.

Mr. Minardi, who's been with Bridgestone since 1989, held a number of executive and management positions with the tire company. He has been executive chairman of Bridgestone Europe since March 2014 and of the Americas since July 2016.

He will continue as senior adviser to the EMEA president and CEO.

Additionally, Gordon Knapp, CEO and president of Bridgestone Americas, is adding the titles of senior vice president and executive officer with Bridgestone Corp.

Thomas Higgins, who heads Bridgestone's U.S. and Canada consumer tire sales division, was appointed chairman of Bridgestone Europe.

Also, Franco Annunziato, senior vice president, chairman and CEO of Bridgestone Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., will return to Europe as vice president senior adviser to Mr. Ferrari. Mr. Annunziato joined Bridgestone Technical Center Europe S.p.A. in November 1982 as an engineer and held a number of high-ranking positions at the company.

Mitsuhira Shimazaki, deputy chairman of Bridgestone Asia Pacific, will take over Mr. Annunziato's positions in the region. Yves Kerstens has been promoted to CEO of Bridgestone China Asia Pacific.