Gingo Named Executive Vice President of Goodyear

AKRON, Ohio, June 6 -- Joseph M. Gingo, who has held several key global technical and business leadership positions for the tiremaker, has been named executive vice president, quality systems and chief technical officer of The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company .

Gingo, 58, has been serving as Goodyear's senior vice president for technology and global products planning since 1999. In addition to continuing to lead Goodyear's Research, Tire Technology and Global Products Planning groups, in his new position Gingo will lead three strategic initiatives for the company -- Six Sigma, Product Innovation & Development and Quality Leadership. He also retains responsibility for the company's global race tire program.

"Joe Gingo is an outstanding leader who is committed to driving a market- focused culture in our technical organization," said Robert J. Keegan, president and chief executive officer. "His global experiences leading tire, engineered product and technical operations will be important as our product development, quality and Six Sigma efforts intensify. The three strategic initiatives Joe will lead are vital to our turnaround program.

"This appointment demonstrates the importance Goodyear places on developing and delivering to our customers worldwide highly differentiated new products of uncompromised quality and our global commitment to the benefits of Six Sigma to our business," Keegan added.

Before leading the company's technology program, Gingo was vice president of Goodyear's Engineered Products business in 1998. Previously, he was vice president of the company's Asian tire business.

Gingo, who joined Goodyear in 1966 as a design and development engineer, was named chief engineer in 1973 and, in 1975, manager of advanced concepts, fabric engineering. In 1976, he became manager of corporate projects and materials coordination, and was named its director two years later. From 1983 to 1986, he was director of Goodyear's Technical Center in Luxembourg.

In 1986, he was named vice president of Goodyear's aviation products business and, in 1989, president and chief executive officer of Goodyear' Air Treads subsidiary.

In 1992, he was named Goodyear's vice president of tire technology worldwide. He was named to the Asian leadership post in 1995.

Gingo holds a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from the Case Institute of Technology, a law degree from The University of Akron and a master's degree in business management from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Goodyear is the world's largest tire company. Headquartered in Akron, Ohio, the company manufactures tires, engineered rubber products and chemicals in more than 85 facilities in 28 countries. It has marketing operations in almost every country around the world. Goodyear employs about 92,000 people worldwide.

NOTE TO EDITORS: A photo and full biography are available at www.GoodyearNewsRoom.com.