AKRON, Ohio — Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. has announced several key leadership succession moves designed to continue the positive momentum in the company’s North American Tire business.
John "Jack" Winterton has been appointed president of the company’s North American Tire consumer business unit. He succeeds Steve McClellan, who was promoted to president of Goodyear North American Tire in August 2011. At the same time, Phillip Kane has been appointed vice president of Goodyear’s North American Tire commercial tire business, succeeding Joe Copeland, who has announced he will leave the company.
Winterton, 58, has worked in Goodyear’s North American Tire business for his entire career. Most recently, he served as chief customer officer for Goodyear’s North American Tire consumer business, a role he held beginning in December 2008. Immediately prior to that, he was vice president of consumer tire sales (2003-2008) and director of dealer sales, consumer tires (2002-2003). Since 2002, Winterton has helped develop and execute the strategic direction for Goodyear’s North American Tire consumer business, which shifted its focus to producing and selling innovative, high-value branded products in targeted market segments.
For the past year, Kane, 47, has been president of Wingfoot Commercial Tire Systems, Goodyear’s nationwide network of on-highway commercial tire sales, service, and retread facilities. Kane has spent his entire career in businesses related to the automotive and trucking industries. He joined Goodyear in 2004 as director of strategic initiatives before moving to director of North American Tire’s consumer wholesale distribution channel. He was promoted to senior director, channel sales in December 2008 before moving to his most recent role leading the Wingfoot operation.
In addition, the company announced that Ryan Patterson succeeds Winterton in the newly created position of vice president, consumer operations and customer development.
Patterson, 38, has been finance director for Goodyear’s North American Tire consumer business since September 2008. While in that role, he expanded his scope of responsibilities, aligning business performance goals and measures with operations, production, marketing, and sales. Prior to joining the North American team, Patterson worked in finance roles of increasing responsibility in the company’s Latin American Tire business.
Paul Wanstreet will replace Kane as president of Wingfoot. Wanstreet, 54, returns to a leadership role at Wingfoot, where he previously served as vice president of operations for two years through 2009. Most recently, he has been head of operations for Goodyear’s consumer retail business.
All new assignments are effective immediately.
