John T. Lampe Named Chief Executive Officer Of Bridgestone/Firestone, Inc.
10 October 2000
John T. Lampe Named Chief Executive Officer Of Bridgestone/Firestone, Inc.
Lampe Outlines Immediate Action Plan
NASHVILLE, Tenn., Oct. 10 Bridgestone/Firestone, Inc.
announced today that John T. Lampe has been named chairman, chief executive
officer and president, succeeding Masatoshi Ono, who is returning to
Bridgestone Corp. after nearly ten years at its U.S. subsidiary.
"I want my first act as the new CEO to be a sincere apology to those who
have suffered personal losses or who have had problems with Firestone tires,"
said Mr. Lampe. "We can debate over cause and responsibility for there is
much that is not known. But that does not change the fact that there have
been tragic accidents, and for this I am deeply sorry."
Mr. Lampe announced an immediate action plan that includes three primary
initiatives:
Accelerating the recall effort
Assembling a new management team
Creating new methods to examine product performance data
With respect to the first initiative, Mr. Lampe said, "We must complete
the recall as quickly as possible -- that is our Number One priority." As of
October 9, an estimated 3.7 million tires have been replaced out of the more
than 6.5 million tires included in the recall announced on August 9. Mr.
Lampe said that the company has accelerated tire production to respond to the
recall. The company is continuing to airlift tires from sister plants
overseas and, as previously announced, has made it possible for consumers to
obtain replacement tires from competitors.
Mr. Lampe said that the company expects to complete the recall during
November. He added that Bridgestone/Firestone will "not rest until we have
determined the root cause or causes of the accidents, continuing to work with
government agencies and outside experts to ensure that a situation like this
never happens again."
Mr. Lampe also announced that he is assembling a new management team.
Isao Togashi, currently senior vice president of tire production and product
technology of Bridgestone Corp. in Japan, will head manufacturing and
development of the U.S. subsidiary, reporting to Mr. Lampe. Mr. Togashi, 58,
will also be vice chairman of the board of directors. In his new management
role, Mr. Togashi will oversee three areas: manufacturing and process
controls; research and development; and quality-assurance procedures.
"Mr. Togashi is exceptionally skilled and will be a great asset to our
team," said Mr. Lampe.
Mr. Lampe said that he will announce additional management changes in the
coming weeks.
Mr. Lampe's third action will focus on creating new and innovative ways to
collect and analyze important performance data. "This experience has taught
us that we need to improve our performance data processes. It is also clear
that tire manufacturers and vehicle manufacturers must learn about each
other's businesses in order to produce the safest and most reliable products
possible. Gaining a complete understanding of exactly how the vehicle and
tires interact is extremely important."
In addition, Mr. Lampe said that Bridgestone/Firestone strongly supports
the goals of legislation pending before Congress that are designed to address
the issue of ensuring the collection of better and more complete data that
will be meaningful to consumers, manufacturers and regulators.
"John has the full support of our management team," said Yoichiro Kaizaki,
chief executive officer of Bridgestone Corp., the Tokyo-based parent company
of Bridgestone/Firestone, Inc. "John is an experienced and highly respected
executive in our industry. More importantly, he cares deeply for this
company, its employees and its customers."
Mr. Kaizaki continued: "I would also like to express our appreciation and
thanks to Masatoshi Ono, who has served as chief executive officer of
Bridgestone/Firestone for seven years. He contributed greatly to our growth
in the Americas. He leaves this position with the profound respect of
everyone he has worked with at Bridgestone/Firestone."
Mr. Lampe, 53, joined Bridgestone/Firestone in 1973 as an international
trainee in the tire maker's Cincinnati operations. Since then, he has held a
number of senior international posts of increasing responsibility in
Singapore, Denmark, Spain, Costa Rica and Brazil. Mr. Lampe was president of
the company's former Dayton Tire Division in Oklahoma City, before his most
recent job as president of Bridgestone/Firestone Tire Sales Co. and president
of Bridgestone/Firestone Truck Tire Sales Co. He was also executive vice
president.
Mr. Ono, 63, has been with the company for more than 41 years, having
joined Bridgestone Tire Co., Ltd. (now Bridgestone Corp.) in 1959. During his
career he held a succession of jobs in production systems and manufacturing,
including having served as the plant manager at both the Hikone and Kurume
plants in Japan. He was elected to the board of Bridgestone Corp. in 1987,
and in 1991 came to the U.S. as executive vice president of Manufacturing and
Technology for Bridgestone/Firestone, Inc. He was later named President of
the same organization in 1992 and became CEO of Bridgestone/Firestone in 1993.
Since 1993 he has been chairman and chief executive officer of
Bridgestone/Firestone, Inc., and executive vice president of Bridgestone Corp.
About Bridgestone/Firestone, Inc.
Nashville-based Bridgestone/Firestone, Inc. is a subsidiary of Bridgestone
Corporation, the world's largest tire and rubber company.
Bridgestone/Firestone manufactures and markets Bridgestone, Firestone, Dayton
and house and private brand tires. The company also produces Firestone air
springs, roofing materials, synthetic rubber and industrial products. The
company employs 36,900 employees in the United States and 10,600 people in
Canada and Latin America. For further information, please visit our website
at http://www.bridgestone-firestone.com.
John T. Lampe
John T. Lampe was named chairman, chief executive officer and president of
Bridgestone/Firestone, Inc. on October 10, 2000. Mr. Lampe, 53, previously
served as executive vice president of Bridgestone/Firestone and president of
Bridgestone/Firestone Tire Sales Co. and Bridgestone/Firestone Truck Tire
Sales Co.
Earlier, Mr. Lampe served as president of the company's Dayton Tire
Operations and director of that area's sales and marketing division. Prior to
his time in the Dayton division, Mr. Lampe advanced through a number of
management positions outside the United States, including Singapore, Denmark,
Costa Rica and Brazil. Mr. Lampe has been with Bridgestone/Firestone for 27
years, starting as an international trainee in 1974.
Mr. Lampe is active in industry organizations, including the Rubber
Manufacturers Tire management committee and the American Trucking Association.
Born in Wellington, Kansas, Lampe now lives with his wife, Barbara, in
Tennessee and has two grown children. He has a Bachelors of Science degree in
business administration from Kansas State College and a Masters degree in
International Management from the American Graduate School of International
Management in Glendale, Arizona.
Isao Togashi
Isao Togashi is a Bridgestone Corp. veteran and highly respected for his
expertise in quality management and manufacturing. On October 10, 2000, Mr.
Togashi was named head of manufacturing and development for Bridgestone-
Firestone, Inc., the U.S. subsidiary of Tokyo-based Bridgestone Corp.,
reporting to John T. Lampe, chairman, chief executive officer and president of
Bridgestone/Firestone, Inc. He was also named vice chairman of board of
Bridgestone/Firestone.
Mr. Togashi, 58, will continue to serve as senior vice president and a
member of the board for Bridgestone Corp. He joined Bridgestone Tire Co.,
Ltd. (now Bridgestone Corp.) in 1964 and most recently served as senior vice
president of Tire Production and Production Technology.
Since 1964, Mr. Togashi held a number of key executive positions at the
company, including general manager of Overseas Plant Technology, director of
International Technology Coordination; director of Production Technology; and
director of Product Machinery Development.
In 1994, Mr. Togashi was named a member of the board of directors. In
1997, he was named vice president and director of Production Machinery
Development. That same year, Mr. Togashi was given the additional
responsibility of vice president of Overseas Plant Technology Corp.
In 1998, Mr. Togashi was named senior vice president of Tire Production
and Production Technology.
Mr. Togashi graduated from Chiba University in 1964 with a B.A. in
industrial chemistry.