Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. has announced two related appointments in Europe effective July 1, 2012.
George Rietbergen was promoted to vice president of the commercial product business unit of Goodyear Dunlop Tires Europe for Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA). Formerly managing director of Goodyear Dunlop Tires UK Ltd., he will be based out of Brussels, Belgium.
“In his new role, George will continue to drive the strategy for our commercial tire business focusing on strong and sustainable performance," says Arthur de Bok, president of the EMEA business unit. "He will lead the commercial organization in continuing to improve operational excellence and in driving market-back innovation.”
Rietbergen has a strong track record with the company. He started his career with Goodyear in 2001 at the EMEA headquarters in Belgium, where he held positions to develop the company's eBusiness and retail strategies. In 2005, he moved into broader leadership roles, first as general manager for the Benelux cluster and then in 2010 as managing director for the UK and Ireland.
Erich Fric will replace Rietbergen as managing director of Goodyear Dunlop Tires UK. Following the transition from his current role as general manager for the Nordics, Erich "will continue to develop the strength and performance of our business in the UK and Ireland."
Fric joined the company in 1994 as general manager in Austria, having already built a strong career in the automotive industry. In 2009, he relocated to Sweden, where he has led the business for the Nordics cluster as general manager.
On June 1, Michel Rzonzef took over as vice president of Goodyear Dunlop's consumer product business unit for EMEA. He replaced Mark Brickhill, who left the company to return to the United Kingdom.
