YTC promotes Briggs to marketing & product management VP

Andrew Briggs has been promoted to the newly created position of vice-president of marketing & product management at Yokohama Tire Corporation (YTC). Briggs, who will report to Jeff Barna, YTC’s chief operating officer, replaces Fred Koplin, senior director of marketing and motorsports, following the latter’s retirement.

This new role is the latest step in a career at YTC that began 14 years ago. Briggs joined the US-based Yokohama Rubber Company subsidiary in 2003 and has held several positions including account manager, senior manager of motorsports, and senior director of marketing, product planning and motorsports. Briggs was promoted to senior director of tyre business and product planning in 2015.

“As senior director of tyre business and product planning, Andrew was instrumental in successfully introducing several new products to the market, while also reinforcing the value created by our analytics and customer service teams,” says Jeff Barna. “In his expanded role, Andrew will be responsible for leveraging the company’s product plan into a cohesive marketing and motorsports strategy for North America, while continuing to provide direct supervision to customer service and tyre business planning.”

Koplin retires after 12 years with YTC. “Fred was adept at forging long-standing and trusting relationships with many of YTC’s most prolific distributor and dealer customers, while also consummating a number of strategic sponsorships with major sports and auto racing teams,” shares Barna. “Fred is a consummate professional and we thank him for his many accomplishments while serving in leadership roles here at YTC.”