ETRMA extends presidency of Bridgestone exec Annunziato

BRUSSELS—The European Tyre & Rubber Manufacturers' Association has re-elected Bridgestone Europe executive Franco Annunziato to a second three-year term, to signal "commitment and continuity" in the face of challenges.

The board of directors also elected Joan Vicenc Duran, head of Spain's national rubber association Consorcio Nacional de Industriales del Caucho, as vice president.

Both functions are effective Jan. 1, 2021, for a three-year term.

As part of his mandate, Annunziato will work with policy makers to identify the most suitable measures to safeguard jobs, manufacturing and innovation with particular focus on green and digital footprints, the ETRMA said.

"When I started my mandate three years ago, the global context was significantly different," Annunziato said upon re-election. "We are now living in unprecedented times and still struggling to fence the impacts of a lingering crisis that has unclear horizons."

The tire industry, he said, can bring "a significant contribution" to the policy objectives of the European economy, which target safety, decarbonization and digital mobility.

The re-election, according to ETRMA Secretary General Fazilet Cinaralp, comes at time when the industry and society are asking for "a strong commitment to contribute to the post-COVID-19 recovery plan."

"The tire and rubber industry has a relevant role to play and I cheer the opportunity to assure continuity in the key actions we are bringing forward," she said.

According to Cinaralp, the industry has untapped capacity to contribute to "greening mobility" and the circular economy, while leveraging on the tire-as-a-service regulatory framework.

Annunziato, vice president and senior adviser at Bridgestone Europe, took the helm at ETRMA in January 2018. He has a master's degree in mechanical engineering from Rome University "La Sapienza" and is specialized in transport and infrastructure technology.

He joined Bridgestone Technical Center Europe S.p.A. as an engineer in 1982 and has held a number of high-ranking positions within the company.