Goodyear Names Chief Procurement Officer

The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company appointed Mark Purtilar as chief procurement officer, effective September 17. He replaces Gary Miller, who is retiring after 40 years as a Goodyear associate.

Purtilar, formerly a procurement executive for ArvinMeritor Automotive Inc., will oversee Goodyear’s global procurement strategy and be responsible for the company’s approximately $10 billion in annual purchases.

“An innovative and aggressive procurement plan is a key element of Goodyear’s growth strategy,” said Christopher W. Clark, senior vice president of global sourcing. “In Mark, we found an individual with a successful history of developing global procurement strategies to reduce costs, maximize efficiency and maintain quality. Moreover, he has done it in a very competitive marketplace.”

Prior to his Goodyear appointment, Purtilar was vice president of global procurement for commercial vehicle systems for ArvinMeritor, a global supplier of automotive parts based in Troy, Mich. Responsible for $3 billion annually in company purchases, he developed the company’s global supplier strategy, initiated a low-cost country strategy and routinely exceeded purchasing performance targets.

Purtilar first joined ArvinMeritor in 1994 as manager of purchasing and inventory planning and held several other positions until being named vice president and general manager of the Americas Commercial Vehicle Aftermarket Distributions division in 2000. He left ArvinMeritor from 2002 to 2004 to serve as the chief executive officer of Auto Body Panels Inc. in Cincinnati, Ohio. He returned to ArvinMeritor in 2004 as the vice president of global procurement.

Prior to ArvinMeritor, Purtilar worked for the Sara Lee Corporation from 1983 to 1994 as a manager in purchasing, production and capacity planning.

“This is an exciting time to join Goodyear’s leadership team,” said Purtilar. “Through procurement strategies, we have the opportunity to significantly impact the company and benefit its customers and its shareholders.”

Purtilar received his bachelor’s degree and his master of business administration in international business from Northern Kentucky University.