Goodyear’s CEO on Getting the 126-Year-Old Brand Back to #1

Once we have been offered with the chance to interview Mark Stewart, CEO of Goodyear Tire & Rubber Firm, with the well-known Goodyear Blimp, we jumped on the alternative. In any case — everyone knows the model. And we should always: It is a Fortune 500 firm, they’ve 68,000 staff globally, and so they did over $18 billion in income in 2024.

We met Mark and his crew within the hangar in Akron, Ohio and did the interview with the long-lasting blimp within the backdrop, which is unsurprisingly monumental. The primary story he informed was about how the Goodyear blimps have been utilized in World Conflict II as anti-submarine help. As a enterprise proprietor myself, it is fairly wonderful to do not forget that this firm has 1) been round for therefore lengthy and a pair of) has pivoted, modified, developed, grown, and so on. in so some ways.

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Mark Stewart’s path into the automotive trade began early. His grandfather was a mechanic, his father labored in tires, and he grew up across the instruments and the commerce. That familiarity with autos finally led him into engineering and manufacturing, together with a five-year stint at Stellantis earlier than taking up the CEO function at Goodyear. His profession wasn’t mapped out in some good arc — it was constructed by means of a mixture of alternatives and a willingness to tackle what got here subsequent. Our dialog wasn’t about large turning factors as a lot because it was about sticking with the work and adapting alongside the best way.

We spent an excellent portion of our time speaking in regards to the Goodyear Ahead plan, which is the corporate’s present technique to modernize each operations and tradition. Stewart emphasised the push to reclaim Goodyear’s place within the tire trade — not simply when it comes to model recognition, however efficiency. After I requested what it is like main a 126-year-old model, he quipped, “Do not mess it up.” There’s clearly strain there, however he did not overdramatize it. Only a regular consciousness of what is at stake and what wants fixing.

There have been some sensible insights within the dialog that caught with me. One was across the significance of regional manufacturing — constructing tires nearer to the place they’re going to be bought, not only for logistics however to remain in tune with native markets. One other was about retail. Whereas some would possibly shrink back from direct-to-consumer operations, Stewart sees Goodyear’s retail footprint as a bonus. It provides them proximity to prospects and extra management over the expertise.

We additionally touched on broader matters like electrical autos, tariffs and AI — particularly how tire sensors would possibly play an even bigger function in the way forward for automobile efficiency and security. His method wasn’t speculative; he stayed centered on what’s actual and what’s throughout the firm’s management. It is a theme that got here up a couple of occasions: Construct the suitable merchandise, keep near your individuals, and let the noise keep on the skin.

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What I loved most in regards to the dialog was listening to about Mark’s grandfather and father. He appeared genuinely keen on what he was doing and appeared to care in regards to the model of Goodyear. Mark is a couple of yr and a half into the function as CEO, and I am to see what they’ve in retailer sooner or later.