TOKYO—Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd. has named Hikomitsu Noji, president of Tokyo-based Yokohama Rubber Co., to be president and CEO of Yokohama Tire Corp. and CEO of Yokohama Corp. of North America, replacing Yasushi Tanaka, who is returning to Japan as assistant to the president of YRC's tire business.
Noji, 53 and a 21-year YRC veteran, has been president and representative director of YRC since June 2011. Other assignments have included chief director of global tire production, manager of the Mishima, Japan, plant, and president of Yokohama Tire Philippines Inc.
YRC did not name Noji's successor.
Tanaka leaves YTC after just 10 months as the top executive in North America. He was named managing corporate officer and CEO of YTC and CEO of Yokohama Corp. of America and Yokohama Corp. of North America in June 2012.
Prior to that, Tanaka was corporate officer in charge of YRC's corporate planning department, secretariat, GD100 Promotion Department. He also is in his 21st year with the tire maker.
Yokohama also recently named former YTC President and CEO Norio Karashima to be executive adviser to YTC management at the company's Fullerton, Calif., headquarters, effective April 1.
"Mr. Karashima has a deep understanding of YRC's long-term plans, goals and capabilities at the highest level," Tanaka said at the time.
"Coupled with his extensive knowledge of the market and the dealer network in the U.S., he is in a unique position to advise our executive management team and make the strategies we have put together that much stronger in steadily growing our sales."
In other changes at YTC, longtime executive Dan King, senior vice president of sales and marketing, recently announced he is leaving the company April 5 after almost 25 years to join Corona, Calif.-based wholesaler Tire's Warehouse Inc. (TWI) as president, a newly created position. His first day at TWI is April 8.