Yokohama Tire Corporation (YTC) announced several corporate strategic management changes, including naming a new CEO, effective May 1.  These changes and promotions include:

Hikomitsu Noji: has been named CEO of YTC. As chief executive officer, Noji assumes the overall leadership of YTC in addition to being president and representative director of The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd. (YRC), YTC’s parent company in Japan. Noji is expected to travel to the United States regularly in his new role but will remain based at YRC’s headquarters in Tokyo.  

Takayuki Hamaya: will be in charge of YTC’s day-to-day operations including strategy development, corporate planning and driving YTC’s business performance.  Hamaya will retain his title of chief operating officer.     

Yasushi Tanaka: who has been YTC’s president and CEO since June 2011 will return to YRC as assistant to the president of Tire Business Group.  In his new capacity, Tanaka will oversee YRC’s global plans on new plant constructions as well as expansions on existing plants.

“Yokohama is fully committed to investing resources in the North American marketplace,” said Tadanobu Nagumo, YRC Chairman and CEO, “and we are confident that this vital market will be served most effectively with the key management structure we have put in place.” 

Yokohama Tire Corporation is the North American manufacturing and marketing arm of Tokyo, Japan-based The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd., a global manufacturing and sales company of premium tires since 1917. Servicing a network of more than 4,500 points of sale in the U.S., Yokohama Tire Corporation is a leader in technology and innovation. The company’s complete product line includes the all-new AVID Ascend –  the first mass-market tire using Yokohama’s breakthrough orange oil technology – as  well as tires for high-performance, light truck, passenger car, commercial truck and bus, and off-the-road mining and construction applications. For more information on Yokohama’s extensive product line, visit www.yokohamatire.com.