Goodyear's Richard Kramer to deliver ITEC keynote

AKRON—Richard Kramer, Goodyear chairman, CEO and president, will be the keynote speaker for the 2018 International Tire Exhibition & Conference, to be held Sept. 11-13 in Akron.

Kramer's topic is "Miles Ahead: Tires & the New Mobility Ecosystem." He will discuss how changes in consumer transportation preferences and rapid advances in technology are creating a new world of transportation. The Goodyear chairman will use the acronym FACE—standing for fleets, autonomous vehicles, connected vehicles and electric vehicles—to give the audience an easy way to think about the new mobility ecosystem.

However, Kramer's view is that even as transportation shifts from individual vehicle ownership to ride-sharing, autonomous and electric vehicles, the need for tires will remain robust, as he sees no replacement on the horizon for the tire and wheel combination.

But that doesn't mean there won't be a need for change in the tire industry, and Kramer will address where these changes need to be made. Namely, in consumer fleet service; the performance and durability demands of electric vehicles; and technology that enables connectivity between vehicles, passengers, infrastructure, data gathering platforms and other vehicles.

Kramer was named Goodyear's CEO in 2010 and the firm's board of directors named him chairman later the same year. He joined the firm in 2000 as vice president of corporate finance, before serving as VP of the company's North American business from 2002-03. As executive vice president and chief financial officer from 2004-07, he was instrumental in helping restructure Goodyear's debt and improve its capital structure.

He was named president of Goodyear North America in 2007, guiding the company's largest business through the global recession and positioning it for sustained profitability as the economy improved. He assumed the additional responsibility of chief operating officer in 2009 before his appointment as CEO in 2010.

During his tenure as CEO, he developed the company's strategy to build long-term value and created a sustained focus on winning with customers and consumers. Goodyear's segment operating income grew more than five-fold under Kramer, reaching record level.

The company also has been among the World's Most Admired Companies in Fortune Magazine's annual rankings. In 2014 and 2015, Goodyear was the world's Most Admired Company in the motor vehicle parts industry and in 2017 was the world's Most Admired Tire Maker for the fifth straight year.

ITEC is organized by Rubber & Plastics News and includes both an exhibition and full conference program of technical papers. It will be held at the John S. Knight Center in Akron.

For more information on ITEC, visit the conference website at ITEC-tireshow.com.