AKRON (June 4, 2009)—Goodyear's board of directors has elected Richard Kramer as its chief operating officer, making him the first person to hold the position in more than six years, a company spokesman said.
Kramer's new role, effective immediately, will be in addition to his current role as president of the company's North American Tire business unit until a successor is named. The appointment is part of Goodyear's plan to have a “laser focus on our operations globally” in light of recent economic difficulties, the spokesman said.
After 13 years in a variety of roles with PricewaterhouseCoopers, Kramer joined Goodyear as vice president of corporate finance in 2000. He was elected to executive vice president and chief financial officer in 2004, and in March 2007 he was elected to president of North American Tire.
Goodyear's last COO was Keegan, who held the position from October 2000 to January 2003.