Ishibashi to take over Bridgestone CEO role in 2020

TOKYO — Bridgestone Corp. has promoted Shuichi Ishibashi, a 41-year company veteran who held senior executive roles at the company's North American operations throughout the 1990s, to CEO, succeeding Masaaki Tsuya who has held that position since 2012.

The change will become effective in March 2020 after a Bridgestone board of directors' meeting, the company added.

Mr. Ishibashi joined Bridgestone in 1977 and has "great experience" in the tire and diversified products segments in the U.S. and Japan, the company said.

He moved to the U.S. in 1989 and joined Firestone Tire & Rubber Co.'s management team shortly after Bridgestone had acquired Firestone.

Mr. Ishibashi — no relation to the family of Bridgestone founder Shojiro Ishibashi — returned to Japan in 2003 and has held executive positions of increasing responsibility since.

In 2016, he was named an executive vice president and executive officer and has served in global leadership positions responsible for diversified products, original equipment business, solutions business, CSR, business strategy, sports and cycle business, and mining and agricultural solutions business.

Mr. Tsuya joined Bridgestone in 1976 in the firm's international relations area. In 1988 he was a member of the Firestone acquisition team. He was appointed CEO and representative board member in 2010, a testament to his international business leadership efforts in Japan, Europe and the U.S., Bridgestone said.

In addition, Masahiro Higashi — currently vice chair for mining, aircraft, agricultural solutions — will become vice chair and global chief solution officer responsible for solution strategy, finance and human resources, concurrently responsible for global OE strategy in March 2020.

At the same time, Bill Thompson, executive vice president of Bridgestone Americas Inc., is retiring from his duties as a vice president and senior officer for Bridgestone Corp., but continues as executive v.p. at Bridgestone Americas.

Also, Scott Damon, group president, operations at Bridgestone Americas, is now a senior officer with the parent company, up from officer previously.