AKRON—Goodyear has made two changes within its leadership of its North America consumer business, effective Sept. 1.
The firm appointed Jack Winterton, currently president of North America consumer, to vice president responsible for driving sales and marketing excellence globally, the firm said. Winterton will be a critical leader in the firm's new global sales and marketing function and will report to Richard Kellam, senior vice president of global sales and marketing.
Kellam was recently appointed to his current position and will begin his responsibilities on Sept. 22, the firm said in an earlier release.
Winterton has spent his entire 41-year career with Goodyear in customer-facing roles, including more than a decade developing and executing the strategic direction for Goodyear's North America consumer business. He spent 31 years in the Kelly-brand business.
Goodyear Chairman and CEO Richard Kramer cited Winterton's “perspective and experience” as essential to the company's drive to integrate sales and marketing processes and enhance the customer and consumer experience from the market back. “Jack brings not only industry and customer expertise to this team, but also organizational credibility and respect,” Kramer said.
Succeeding Winterton as president of the North America consumer business will be Ryan Patterson. Patterson joined Goodyear in 2002 and worked in roles of increasing responsibility in the firm's Latin America business based in Mexico, Brazil and Peru.
In 2008 he joined the North America organization as finance director of the consumer business and most recently served as vice president of consumer operations and customer development.
In his new position, Patterson will be responsible for management and operation of the company's largest product business unit globally. As a key architect for the past two and half years, Patterson will continue to implement that North America strategy throughout the entire consumer business, Goodyear said.