Three leaders of Toyo Tire & Rubber Co. Ltd.'s tire business in the U.S. will take on bigger roles at the start of 2018.
Iori Suzuki, Tomoshige “Tomo” Mizutani and Donald Bunn are all taking on additional responsibilities for Jim Hawk, who in November was named the chairman and CEO of another Toyo subsidiary, Toyo Automotive Parts (USA) Inc.
Suzuki, currently president of Toyo Tire Holdings of Americas Inc. (TTHA), will add the title of CEO of TTHA, succeeding Hawk, who will remain in a non-executive capacity as director and chairman of the board at TTHA.
Suzuki will also continue in his role as corporate officer of Toyo. He joined TTHA in 2005 as senior vice president and general counsel, and was promoted to president of TTHA in 2016. Suzuki was involved with establishing the company’s first U.S. tire manufacturing plant in Georgia. His 30-year career spans work in global banking and international trade.
Suzuki has an undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia, and a juris doctorate from George Washington University National Law Center.
Mizutani is appointed president and CEO of Toyo Tire North America OE Sales LLC (TNOE), located in White, Ga. Mizutani succeeds Hawk, who will remain in a non-executive capacity as director and chairman of the board of TNOE.
Mizutani will be responsible for spearheading sales of original equipment tires to the auto industry. He also will continue as chairman of Toyo Tire U.S.A. Corp. (TTC), chairman and CEO of Nitto Tire U.S.A. Inc., and senior corporate officer of Toyo.
Mizutani is a tire industry veteran of 30 years, and was instrumental in establishing the Nitto brand in the United States. Mizutani is a graduate of Kobe University.
Bunn is appointed president and CEO of Toyo Tire North America Manufacturing Inc. (TNA), also located in White, Ga. He was appointed president of TNA in 2015. Bunn succeeds Hawk, who will relinquish his role as chairman of TNA. Bunn will be responsible for managing the company’s tire manufacturing facility.
Bunn’s career in the tire industry covers nearly 40 years of tire development and manufacturing work. He joined Toyo Tire in 2005 as director of Technical Services. Bunn is a graduate of the University of Dayton.
Takashi Shimizu, CEO and president of Toyo Tire & Rubber Co. Ltd., says, “With these key management appointments, we have a leadership team ready to further drive our North American business upwards. I look forward to their collective contributions.”
The appointments are effective Jan. 1, 2018.
For more information on Toyo Tires or Nitto Tires in North America, visit www.toyotires.com and www.nittotire.com.
