Yokohama Rubber Announces Changes in Senior Management

50,000 Triumph 400cc motorcycles sold

Yokohama Rubber informally decided the below-mentioned changes of senior management at the meeting of the board members held on 17 February, 2023. The changes will formally be approved after the general meeting of shareholders to be held on 30 March, 2023.

As of March 30, 2023

Promoted Member of the Board (current position
Shinji Seimiya

Member of the Board and Managing Officer, Chief Technical & productional Officer, in charge of IT & Management System Planning Div.

(Member of the Board and Officer, Chief Technical Officer, in charge of Quality Assurance Div., Head of Tire Development Div).

Newly appointed Members of the Board (current position)
Tomoaki Miyamoto
Member of the Board and Managing Officer, Head of Japan Replacement Tire Sales & Marketing Div, Head of Consumer Tire Product Planning Div, in charge of Corporate Administration Div, Member of the Board of Yokohama Tire Japan Co, Ltd.

(Managing Officer, Head of Japan Replacement Tire Sales & Marketing Div, Member of the Board of Yokohama Tire Japan Co, Ltd).

Yoshikuni Nakamura
Member of the Board and Managing Officer, Head of Tire Business Planning Div, in charge of Tire Overseas Sales & Marketing Div, in charge of Corporate Social Responsibility Div.

(Managing Officer, Head of Tire Overseas Sales & Marketing Div, Chairman of Yokohama Asia Co, Ltd.)

Masahiro Yuki
Member of the Board and Officer, Head of Corporate Planning Div., in charge of Quality Assurance Div., Chairman of Yokohama Rubber (China) Co., Ltd.

(Officer, Chairman of Yokohama Rubber (China) Co, Ltd, Chairman of Yokohama Tire Sales (Shanghai) Co, Ltd, Chairman of Hangzhou Yokohama Tire Co, Ltd, Chairman of Suzhou Yokohama Tire Co, Ltd, Chairman of Yokohama Industrial Products - Hangzhou Co, Ltd, Chairman of Yokohama Industrial Products Sales - Shanghai Co, Ltd, Vice Chairman of Shandong Yokohama Rubber Industrial Products Co, Ltd).

Megumi Shimizu
Member of the Board (Outside)

(Audit & Supervisory Board Member (Outside))

Junichi Furukawa
Member of the Board (Outside)

 

Newly appointed Members of the Board and the Audit & Supervisory Committee
Gota Matsuo

Member of the Board, Member of the Audit & Supervisory Committee

(Member of the Board and Managing Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Head of Corporate Administration Div, in charge of Corporate Finance & Accounting Dept, Head of Corporate Social Responsibility Div, in charge of IT & Management System Planning Div, in charge of PRGR).

Hisao Uchida
Member of the Board, Member of the Audit & Supervisory Committee

(Audit & Supervisory Board Member)

Hirokazu Kono
Member of the Board, Member of the Audit & Supervisory Committee (Outside)

(Member of the Board (Outside))

Atsushi Kamei
Member of the Board, Member of the Audit & Supervisory Committee (Outside)
(Audit & Supervisory Board Member (Outside))

Hiroki Kimura
Member of the Board, Member of the Audit & Supervisory Committee (Outside)
(Audit & Supervisory Board Member (Outside))

The members of the Board voted at the meeting of the board members on 31 January, 2023, to shift the company from a company with an audit and supervisory board to a company with an audit and supervisory committee, subject to approval at the general meeting of shareholders on 30 March, 2023.

 

Change in Member of the Board’s responsibility
Nitin Mantri

Member of the Board and Managing Officer, Head of OHT Div, CEO of Yokohama Off-Highway Tires K.K, Chairman of Yokohama India, Chairman of Yokohama Tyre Vietnam Inc, in charge of Yokohama Europe GmbH.

(Member of the Board and Managing Officer, Head of OHT Div, CEO of Yokohama Off-Highway Tires K.K, Chairman of Yokohama India).

 

Retired Members of the Board
Yasuo Nakayama
Advisor, Vice Chairman of Yokohama Rubber (China), Chairman of Yokohama Industrial Products - Hangzhou, Chairman of Yokohama Industrial Products Sales - Shanghai, Vice Chairman of Shandong Yokohama Rubber Industrial Products.

(Member of the Board and Officer, Head of MB Div, Head of Hose and Couplings Div)

Toru Nakamura
Officers , President of Yokohama Tire Manufacturing (Thailand).

(Member of the Board and Officer, Head of Tire Production Div).

Nobuo Takenaka
(Member of the Board (Outside))

Retired Audit and Supervisory Board Members (including four individuals newly appointed as Member of the Board or Member of the Board and the Audit and Supervisory Committee)

Osamu Mikami
Advisor
(Audit & Supervisory Board Member)

Hisao Uchida
Member of the Board, Member of the Audit & Supervisory Committee

(Audit & Supervisory Board Member)

Atsushi Kamei
Member of the Board, Member of the Audit & Supervisory Committee (Outside)

(Audit & Supervisory Board Member (Outside))

Megumi Shimizu
Member of the Board (Outside)
(Audit & Supervisory Board Member (Outside))

Hiroki Kimura
Member of the Board, Member of the Audit & Supervisory Committee (Outside)
(Audit & Supervisory Board Member (Outside))

Promoted Officer

Takehisa Morimoto

Managing Officer, President of Yokohama Tire Manufacturing Mississippi, LLC, Chairman of Yokohama Tire Manufacturing Virginia, LLC.

(Officer, President of Yokohama Tire Manufacturing Mississippi, LLC).

Newly appointed Officers

Anil Gupta

Officer, COO of ATC Tires, Vice Chairman of Yokohama India.

(Associate Officer, COO of ATC Tires, Vice Chairman of Yokohama India)

Tetsuya Nagao
Officer, Head of Tire Production Div.

(Associate Officer, President of Yokohama Tire Philippines, Inc)

Takeshi Masatomo
Officer, Head of Tire Overseas Sales & Marketing Div, Head of Tire Overseas Sales & Marketing Dept, Chairman of Yokohama Asia.

(Associate Officer, Acting Head of Tire Overseas Sales & Marketing Div, Head of Tire Overseas Sales & Marketing Dept).

Shoichiro Matsuda
Officer, Head of Tire Development Div, Head of Tire Designing Dept No 2

(Associate Officer, Acting Head of Tire Development Div, Head of Tire Designing Dept No 2)

Changes in Officers’ responsibility
Shinichi Takimoto

Senior Managing Officer, Chairman and CEO of Yokohama Corporation of North America, Chairman of Yokohama Tire Corporation, Chairman of Yokohama Tire (Canada) Inc, Chairman of Yokohama Tire Mexico, S de RL de CV.

(Senior Managing Officer, President and CEO of Yokohama Corporation of North America, Chairman of Yokohama Tire Corporation, CEO of Yokohama Tire (Canada) Inc, CEO of Yokohama Tire Mexico, S de RL de CV)

Jeff Barna
Senior Managing Officer, President of Yokohama Corporation of North America, President and CEO of Yokohama Tire Corporation

(Senior Managing Officer, President and CEO of Yokohama Tire Corporation)

Shingo Ishimitsu
Officer, Head of HR Dept, President of Yokohama Peer Support, President of Yokohama Rubber.

(Officer, Head of HR Dept, President of Yokohama Peer Support., President of Yokohama Rubber Health Insurance Society, President of Yokohama Rubber).

Promoted Associate Officers

Takashi Shirokawa
Managing Associate Officer, Head of Corporate Social Responsibility Div, Head of Hiratsuka Factory

(Associate Officer, Head of Hiratsuka Factory, Head of Materials Technologies Dept).

Tsuneyuki Ishizuka
Managing Associate Officer, Head of Corporate Administration Div, Head of Corporate General Affairs Dept.

(Associate Officer, Acting Head of Corporate Administration Div, Head of Corporate General Affairs Dept).

Masaki Nakamura
Managing Associate Officer, Head of IT & Management System Planning Div, President of Hamagomu Aicom Inc.

(Associate Officer, Head of IT & Management System Planning Div, Head of System Development Dept, President of Hamagomu Aicom Inc).

 

Newly appointed Associate Officers

Hideki Satowa
Associate Officer, Deputy in charge of MB Production and Engineering, Head of MB Production and Engineering Planning Dept.

(Assistant in charge of MB Production and Engineering Planning, Head of MB Production and Engineering Planning Dept).

Motoji Fujita
Associate Officer, Acting Head of Research & Advanced Development Div, Head of Materials Technologies Dept.

(President of Yokohama Tire Manufacturing (Thailand)

 

Hidekazu Onoi
Associate Officer, Head of Tire Materials Development Dept No 2

(Head of Tire Materials Development Dept No 2)

Takayoshi Omae
Associate Officer, Acting Head of Consumer Tire Product Planning Div, Head of Consumer Tire Product Planning Dept.

(Head of Consumer Tire Product Planning Dept)

Kazuhiro Masuda
Associate Officer, Acting Head of Corporate Administration Div, Head of Legal Dept

(Head of Legal Dept.)

 

Stan Chandgie
Associate Officer, Vice President of Yokohama Tire Corporation

(Vice President of Yokohama Tire Corporation)

Changes in Associate Officers’ responsibility

Michio Shimizu

Associate Officer, Head of Motorsports Tire Development Dept.

(Associate Officer, Deputy Head of Tire Development Div, Head of Motorsports Tire Development Dept).

Koji Watanabe
Associate Officer, Head of Tire Technical Planning & Administration Dept.

(Associate Officer, Deputy Head of Tire Development Div., Head of Tire Technical Planning & Administration Dept)

 

Naoki Takeda
Associate Officer, President of Aichi Tire Industry

(Associate Officer, Head of Internal Audit Dept)

Takayuki Hamaya
Associate Officer, Head of MB Div, Head of Industrial Products Div

(Associate Officer, Head of Industrial Products Div)

Shigemichi Mori
Associate Officer, Acting Head of MB Div, Head of Hose and Couplings Div, Head of MB Planning Dept.

(Associate Officer, Acting Head of MB Div, Head of MB Planning Dept)

 

Ming Fan
Associate Officer, Assistant to President, President of Yokohama Rubber (China) Co, Ltd., Chairman and President of Yokohama Tire Sales (Shanghai) Co, Ltd, Chairman of Hangzhou Yokohama Tire, Chairman of Suzhou Yokohama Tire.

(Associate Officer, Assistant to President, President of Yokohama Rubber (China), President of Yokohama Tire Sales (Shanghai).

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    Titan International Expands Goodyear Brand Licensing Rights

    Titan International Expands Goodyear Brand Licensing Rights

    Titan International, a major global manufacturer of wheels and tyres for off-highway equipment, has secured expanded production rights for the Goodyear brand across multiple segments while renewing its existing farm tyre licensing agreement.

    The deal extends Titan’s Goodyear brand manufacturing rights to include light construction, industrial, all-terrain vehicle (ATV), lawn and garden and golf tyre categories, significantly broadening the company's market reach.

    The Illinois-based firm will continue to produce agricultural tyres under the Goodyear Farm Tyres brand, maintaining its presence in a sector where it manufactures products ranging from small implement tyres to the massive Goodyear Optitrac LSW1400/30R46, which features the company's proprietary Low Sidewall Technology.

    "We are excited to expand our rights into new segments, as this positions us to serve our customers better and seize emerging market opportunities. Our research and product development teams are already working on new tyre designs incorporating innovative tyre technologies for the lawn and garden segment," said Paul Reitz, President & CEO of Titan International, Inc. "In addition to our newly acquired rights, we are reaffirming our commitment to the farm tyres segment, a vital part of our business."

    Industry analysts note the expansion comes as demand for specialised off-highway tyres remains robust across construction, agriculture and recreational sectors despite broader economic headwinds.

    Strategic growth initiative

    The licensing expansion aligns with Titan's strategy to offer comprehensive wheel and tyre solutions across forestry, powersports, outdoor power equipment, agricultural, earthmoving, and light construction markets throughout the Americas, Europe, Africa and Oceania.

    The company did not disclose the financial terms of the licensing agreement with Goodyear.

    Titan International has manufactured Goodyear-branded farm tyres since 2005, when it acquired Goodyear's North American farm tyre business. It has gradually expanded these rights to other regions, including Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Russia, and Australia.

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      CEAT Commits Around INR 10 Bln In FY26 Capex,

      CEAT Commits Around INR 10 Bln In FY26 Capex,

      Targets International Expansion With Robust Fy25 Performance

      CEAT Ltd, the RPG Group’s flagship tyre company, reported a capital outlay of INR 9–10 billion  for FY2025–26, keeping with its capacity expansion strategy and global integration. This follows a strong FY25 performance of record revenues and double-digit growth across segments despite headwinds in overseas markets.

      The business ended FY25 with consolidated revenue of INR 132.18 billion, up 10.6 percent year on year, and Q4 revenue at INR34.21 billion, up 14.3 percent compared to the corresponding quarter previous year. The standalone full-year EBITDA was INR 15 billion, and the Q4 operating margins improved by more than 100 basis points sequentially at 11.5 percent.

      "We incurred capex of INR 9.46 billion in FY25 and expect a similar investment of INR 9–1.0 billion in FY26," said Kumar Subbiah, Chief Financial Officer of CEAT. “Our focus will remain on expanding capacities, particularly at the Ambarnath and Chennai facilities, and funding the integration of the recently acquired Camso compact construction business.”

      In FY25, CEAT depreciated assets amounting to INR11.40 billion. Much of its FY26 capex will also fund equipment modernisation and normal maintenance at its Sri Lankan operations under Camso, putting a cost estimate of INR1-1.25 billion a year over the next two years.

      The Camso acquisition, which is effective from Q2 FY26, is likely to significantly enhance CEAT's global presence. "Integration work has started in full acceleration," said Arnab Banerjee, Managing Director and CEO. “Initial focus will be on customer retention and business continuity, with consolidation expected to double Camso’s current capacity utilisation over the medium term.”

      Despite international uncertainties, CEAT renewed its medium-term global growth forecast. Exports are expected to form 25–26 percent of the revenue post-Camso integration. Turbulence still exists in Latin America and North America due to tariff policies and exchange rate weakness. CEAT, however, has reported consistent performance in Europe, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia.

      CEAT also indicated a likely raw material cost stabilisation in Q1 FY26, potentially softening by Q2, to support its margin growth initiatives. The gross margin was 37.5 percent in Q4 FY25, and the target was above 40 percent in the near term.

      Banerjee signaled ongoing activity in electrification, premiumisation, and digitalisation. "With our technology outlays and new product introductions, we are hopeful of sustaining 20–25 percent market share in electric vehicle segments," he asserted.

      The debt levels of the company are under control. The gross debt as of 31 March 2025 was INR 19.28 billion with a debt-to-EBITDA ratio of 1.3x and debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44x. Subbiah added that CEAT's strong cash generation will allow it to finance both organic and inorganic growth without materially diluting leverage metrics.

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        Black Swan Graphene Appoints Jobin George As Technical Sales Manager (EMEA)

        Black Swan Graphene Appoints Jobin George As Technical Sales Manager (EMEA)

        Black Swan Graphene Inc. (Black Swan) has appointed Jobin George as Technical Sales Manager for the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region with immediate effect. This significant move, which supports Black Swan's worldwide commercial team as it promotes adoption of its graphene-enhanced products, follows Dan Roadcap’s appointment as Head of Technical Sales and Business Development.

        George has an MBA from ICFAI University in India, a Post Graduate Diploma from the Central Institute of Petrochemical Engineering and Technology in India and a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from Mahatma Gandhi University, India. He brings with him more than 20 years of global expertise in project management, business development and technical sales. George has had positions at Sands International Plastics and Sojitz Corporation in the United Arab Emirates, as well as Aquapak Polymers and H-Pack Global Ltd.

        Simon Marcotte, President and Chief Executive Officer, Black Swan Graphene, said, “The addition of Jobin to our commercial team marks another important milestone in our global expansion strategy. His international experience, particularly in the EMEA region, and his proven ability to translate technical capability into commercial success make him an ideal fit as we continue scaling our graphene business.”

        George said, “Black Swan is positioned at the forefront of advanced materials innovation. The opportunity to contribute to the adoption of such a transformative technology across the EMEA region is tremendously exciting. I look forward to engaging with our existing customers and partners, along with exploring opportunities for new clients as well, to showcase the performance and value of Black Swan’s graphene solutions.”

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          Stephanie Mull Appointed As TRF Executive Director

          Stephanie Mull Appointed As TRF Executive Director

          The Tire Recycling Foundation (TRF), a joint initiative led by the U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association (USTMA) and the Tire Industry Association (TIA), has appointed Stephanie Mull as its Executive Director.

          Mull will spearhead the organisation's initiatives to promote innovation and invest in the circular tyre economy, expand the market for end-of-life tyres and support studies to fill in the gaps in the sustainability and tyre recycling supply chain in her new role at TRF. Mull brings a wealth of experience in the sustainability field and a broad understanding of fleet management and decarbonisation, including converting fleets to electric and alternative fuel vehicles. In her role as PepsiCo's Sustainability Senior Manager, she oversaw major electrification projects, obtained grant money and spearheaded efforts to lower Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions throughout Pepsi and Frito-Lay's North American fleets. Mull oversaw the local government's efforts to upgrade municipal vehicles to greener technology and volunteered to help the Red Cross electrify its fleet.

          Anne Forristall Luke, TRF Board President, said, “Stephanie Mull brings the passion, in-depth expertise and history of excellence that will drive TRF and its partners to achieve critical tyre recycling and reclamation milestones. We are thrilled to have her join the Foundation as we advance tyre sustainability while tackling the challenges and opportunities ahead.”

          Mull said, “I’m honoured to join the Tire Recycling Foundation and support its sustainability mission to achieve 100 percent end-of-life tyre circularity. TRF is a vital nexus of expertise and leadership, and I look forward to working with all stakeholders in developing tyre recycling solutions that pave the way for a more sustainable future.” 

          The Tire Recycling Foundation is dedicated to achieving 100 percent circularity for end-of-life tires by advancing innovation, building partnerships and supporting scalable recycling and reclamation solutions. Consisting of 15 global industry leaders with expertise in the manufacturing, recycling and transportation industries, TRF’s Board primarily focuses on the acceleration and adoption of emerging end-of-life tyre market technologies like rubber-modified asphalt (RMA).

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