WASHINGTON— April 5, 2019—The U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association (USTMA) Board of Directors adjourned its spring meeting in Washington, D.C. yesterday, where it unanimously elected four new members to the Board.  Samuel Choi, CEO and President, Kumho Tires USA, Marco Crola, Chairman and CEO, Pirelli Tire North America, Don Bunn, President and CEO, Toyo Tire North America Manufacturing Inc. and Tom Lehner, Vice President, Government Affairs, Bridgestone Americas, Inc. will serve three-year terms effective immediately.

“This is an important time in U.S. manufacturing and we are thrilled to welcome these distinguished executives to our board,” said Anne Forristall Luke, President and CEO of USTMA. “They are recognized and respected leaders in our industry and will bring invaluable insights to the USTMA Board as we advance a policy agenda that promotes growth, a strong U.S. economy, and more opportunities for American manufacturing.”

Don Bunn
President and CEO, Toyo Tire North America Manufacturing, Inc.

Don Bunn is president and CEO of Toyo Tire North America Manufacturing, Inc. (TNA), based in White, Georgia.  Mr. Bunn’s career in the tire industry covers more than 40 years, including working in tire development and manufacturing work. Prior to his current appointment in January 2018, he served as president of TNA, a position he held since 2015. Mr. Bunn joined Toyo Tires in 2005 as director of technical services. He is a graduate of the University of Dayton.

Samuel Choi
CEO & President, Kumho Tire U.S.A., Inc.

Samuel Choi is the CEO and president of Kumho Tire USA. Mr. Choi has worked in the tire industry with Kumho Tire for more than 28 years and has held leadership positions in Korea, the Middle East and Europe with a specific focus on the French market. Immediately prior to his current position, Mr. Choi was president of Kumho Mexico overseeing the quality and safety of products, services and solutions.

Marco Crola
Chairman and CEO, Pirelli Tire North America

Marco Crola is chairman and CEO of Pirelli Tire North America. Prior to assuming this role, he was senior vice president, Global OE and Prestige Business, Pirelli & C. SpA. Before joining Pirelli in 2006, Mr. Crola began his career as regional manager for water treatment products with the Boston-Grace Group, and then worked for 16 years with the General Electric Group. In 2001, he joined the Fiat Group where for the first two years he was managing director of Fenice and TeleClient, part of Business Solutions, and from 2003 senior vice president Sales Europe for Fiat Automotive. In 2005, he rejoined the GE Group in Nuovo Pignone as director, Middle East Operations in the oil & gas business. Mr. Crola graduated from the University of Milan in 1984 with a degree in industrial chemistry.

Tom Lehner
Vice President, Government Affairs, Bridgestone Americas, Inc.

Tom Lehner is a government and industry affairs executive with a record of leadership working with elected officials, companies, and trade associations in addressing challenging and complex issues.  Prior to joining Bridgestone, Mr. Lehner served as vice president of public policy for the Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA). Previously, Mr. Lehner was vice president for Toyota, where he led the Washington, D.C. office. Tom was also a director at the Business Roundtable, working with CEO’s of the nation’s largest corporations on issues of corporate governance, legal reform, and the Partnership for Disaster Response. Tom began government service at the local and state levels, and in Washington D.C. his experience includes working for six U.S. Senators, including Chief of Staff to Senator Charles S. Robb of Virginia.

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The U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association (USTMA) is the national trade association for tire manufacturers that produce tires in the U.S. Our 12 member companies operate 56 tire‐related manufacturing facilities in 17 states and generate over $27 billion in annual sales. We directly support more than a quarter million tire manufacturing U.S. jobs – totaling almost $20 billion in wages. USTMA advances a sustainable tire manufacturing industry through thought leadership and a commitment to science‐based public policy advocacy. USTMA members are committed to continuous improvement of the performance of our products, worker and consumer safety and environmental stewardship.