Goodyear Names New European Leaders

    AKRON, Ohio, May 7 The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
today announced the appointment of new leaders for its two European-based tire
businesses.
    Michael J. Roney, has been named president of the company's European Union
business unit, replacing Sylvain G. Valensi who will be on special assignment
reporting to Robert J. Keegan, Goodyear's president and chief operating
officer.
    Jarro F. Kaplan has been named president of the Eastern Europe, Africa and
Middle East business unit, replacing Roney.  Both Roney and Kaplan will report
to Keegan.
    "Mike has done an outstanding job enhancing the performance of recently
acquired businesses in Eastern Europe.  I'm confident he will have similar
success in completing the integration of the Dunlop operations and in driving
our business performance in the European marketplace," said Keegan.
    "Jarro's experience in manufacturing, sales, marketing and in managing our
operations in Germany, Turkey and the United Kingdom will be a tremendous
asset in Eastern Europe," said Keegan.
    Roney, 46, has been president of the company's Eastern Europe, Africa and
Middle East business unit since 1999.  Prior to that, he had been president of
Goodyear Mexico; vice president of the company's Asia region; and managing
director of Goodyear Brazil.  Roney previously was managing director of
Goodyear Argentina, served as sales director of Goodyear Brazil and held
financial management positions in Argentina, Brazil and Peru.
    He joined Goodyear International Corporation as a management trainee in
1981.  Roney earned a bachelor's degree in accounting and a master of business
administration degree from the University of Michigan.
    Kaplan, 54, has been managing director of Goodyear Germany since 1999.
Prior to that he was managing director of Goodyear UK for three years.  He was
named sales and marketing director for Goodyear Europe in 1995.
    His previous positions include managing director, Goodyear Turkey; sales
and marketing director, truck tires, Europe; marketing manager, truck tires,
Europe; and regional manager, sales training and marketing services.
    Kaplan joined Goodyear as a production/quality control associate in Sweden
in 1969.  He also worked in tire development, field engineering and as sales
and marketing manager in Sweden.  He holds a degree in electrical engineering
from the University of Prague in the Czech Republic.
    Valensi, 58, has been Goodyear's top executive in the European Union since
1996.  Prior to that he was president of Goodyear France for three years.  He
previously was director of sales and marketing, Europe; and vice president of
sales and marketing, Goodyear Canada.  He joined Goodyear in 1965 as a finance
management trainee in France, where he also worked as branch administrator,
manager of controlled distribution and director of replacement sales.  Valensi
is a graduate of the Economic and Commercial Science Institute (ISSEC) and the
European Business Administration Institute.
    Goodyear is the world's largest tire company.  Headquartered in Akron,
Ohio, the company manufactures tires, engineered rubber products and chemicals
in more than 90 facilities in 28 countries.  It has marketing operations in
almost every country around the world.  Goodyear employs about 103,000 people
worldwide.  For more information about the company and photos of Kaplan, Roney
and Valensi, visit http://www.GoodyearNewsRoom.com on the Internet.

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