Cooper Tire & Rubber Co. announced that Luis Ceneviz, managing director — Latin America Tire Operations since March 2015, also will take on the position of managing director — Europe Tire Operations, effective Oct. 1. The dual role will make Ceneviz responsible for the company’s business throughout Europe, the Middle East and Africa in addition to his existing responsibility for Latin America, including Mexico and Central and South America.
“Luis is uniquely qualified to assume this expanded role with broadened geographic responsibility,” said Brad Hughes, Cooper president and CEO. “He has lived and worked in almost every continent during his more than 35 years with leading companies in the tire industry and has the right combination of skills and experience to handle this new dual role. In a relatively brief time, Luis has assembled a strong team in Latin America that is effectively executing our growth strategy and is well-equipped to continue to succeed as Luis applies his global experience on also driving growth for Cooper in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.”
Ceneviz will succeed Jeff Schumaker in the Europe leadership role. Schumaker, a 28-year Cooper veteran who has served as managing director — Europe Tire Operations since January 2013, will assume a new position as vice president – Global Manufacturing.
Prior to joining Cooper in 2015, Ceneviz was with Apollo Tyres Ltd., serving Apollo-Vredestein as president of the ESSAA region (Europe, Sub Sahara Africa and Americas) and as chairman and CEO of Apollo Tyres South Africa Ltd. (Dunlop Tyres). Prior to Apollo, Ceneviz spent nearly three decades with Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., including serving in a number of global leadership positions.
He holds a Ph.D. in management from the Indian Institute of Technology in New Delhi as well as Master of Business Administration degrees in international business from Ecole Nationale de Ponts Et Chaussess de Paris in Buenos Aires and strategic management from the Universidad de Belgrano in Buenos Aires. He also earned production-mechanical engineer and safety engineer degrees from the Universidade Metodista de Piracicaba in Brazil.
