Nashville, Tenn., USA - February 16, 2010, Nashville, Tenn., USA - Bridgestone Americas announced that Mark A. Emkes, chairman, CEO and president, has elected to retire, effective February 28.
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Mr. Emkes will also retire from his position as a member of the Boards of Directors of BSAM and Bridgestone Corporation, BSAM's parent company.
The company has named Asahiko Nishiyama as chairman and Gary A. Garfield as CEO and president. Eduardo Minardi who will be named BSAM’s chief operating officer and will also assume the offices of chairman, CEO and president of Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations.
With a bachelor’s degree in economics from DePauw University and a master’s degree in international management from the Thunderbird School of Global Management, Mr. Emkes joined the former Firestone Tire & Rubber Company in 1976 as a college class trainee in trade sales.
In 2000 Mr. Emkes moved to Nashville, Tenn., to become President of Bridgestone Firestone Latin America, and accepted an assignment as Chairman, CEO and President of Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire in 2002. In 2004, as Chairman and CEO of Bridgestone Americas Holding (as BSAM was known at that time), he assumed responsibility for the Bridgestone Group’s Americas operations which includes North, Central and South America and was elected to the Board of Directors of Bridgestone Corporation. In January of 2009 he was given the additional title of President of BSAM.
Mr. Nishiyama joined Bridgestone Tire Co. Ltd. in 1977 after earning his degree in commercial science from Keio University. Starting his career in Bridgestone’s International Division, Mr. Nishiyama's responsibilities have allowed him to work in both Japan and the United States during his more than 32-year tenure.
In 1985, Mr. Nishiyama was appointed an Executive Committee Member of the Bridgestone Workers’ Union, and by 1991 he assumed the title of Union President. From there, Nishiyama joined the Bridgestone Human Resources Department where he served as a Manager before moving to the United States in 1997.
That year, Mr. Nishiyama became Director of Business Planning for Bridgestone/Firestone, Inc., and in 2001 he returned to Japan as General Manager of Human Resources for Bridgestone Corporation. In 2004, Nishiyama became the Director of the Americas & Europe Operations Division. He returned to the United States as Vice Chairman of Bridgestone Americas Holding, Inc. in 2005, and assumed his current role as Chairman, CEO and President of Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations in 2008.
As President of the Latin American Tire division, Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations (BATO LA), Mr. Minardi is responsible for overseeing the company’s operations throughout the region, which include six manufacturing facilities as well as sales subsidiaries throughout Latin America. Mr. Minardi joined Bridgestone/Firestone Argentina, S.A.I.C. (BFAR) in 1989 as Product Manager.
Mr. Minardi graduated from Buenos Aires University with a bachelor’s degree in economics. He has completed both the CEO Management Program at Northwestern University and the Leadership Program at the Owens Graduate School of Vanderbilt University. ■