Mitsuteru Tanigawa has been named as the new CEO of Falken Tyre Europe. The 61-year old succeeds Masatsugu Nishino who has moved to Turkey to head up Sumitomo Rubber Industries’ manufacturing facility there.
Tanigawa joined SRI in 1980 and has developed a thorough knowledge of the rubber industry with particular expertise in tires.
Since 2012, Tanigawa has worked for SRI’s sports division, which develops and manufactures sporting goods such as golf clubs and tennis rackets. He was mainly responsible for the golf brands Xxio and Srixon.
In March 2017, four years after first becoming a board member of the division, Tanigawa was appointed managing executive officer.
Tanigawa will lead Falken’s expanding European operations from its headquarters outside Frankfurt, Germany. Alongside the growth in OE business for the Falken brand, he will oversee the expansion of Falken’s distribution network, which has accelerated thanks to the acquisition of Micheldever Tyre Services in the UK in 2017.
“It is a huge honour to lead this exciting part of the SRI business. Falken is still a young brand. Thanks to the efforts of the dynamic team in Europe, it has become an established and trusted brand for consumers and the automobile industry. I am looking forward to sharing my experiences with my colleagues in Europe and continuing to expand Falken’s presence in the region,” said Tanigawa.
February 9, 2018
