Dates Announced for 2015 Tire Leadership 21 Education Program

Dates for the 2015 Tire Leadership 21 education program, a two-week educational program specifically designed to develop the next generation of tire dealer managers and owners, have been announced. The two-week seminar, created through a unique collaboration with the Center for Tire & Service Education (CTSE) and Northwood University, will be hosted in two sessions: March 22-27 and Sept. 13-18. Participants in the program must attend both sessions.

“Our first Tire Leadership 21 program, which concluded in April, was a great success,” said Kim Sigman, owner of Community Tire Pros of Phoenix, Ariz., and a member of the CTSE board. “The program is the perfect venue for developing future leaders in any tire dealer business.”

The program’s structure features a pair of one-week, on-campus sessions. Session I will be hosted in late March at Northwood’s campus in Midland, Mich. Participants will reconvene mid-September at Northwood’s campus in West Palm Beach, Fla. At the conclusion of the program, participants will be required to complete an individual project that must deliver $25,000 in annual additional revenue or savings to their employers.

“This isn’t a program to learn about tires or tire technology – that kind of program exists in lots of places. This is a unique program about working on your business, rather than in it. It forces you to think about the big picture and how your leadership fits into it,” said Bart Proper of Rice Tire in D.C.

Academic support of the program comes from Northwood University and its University of the Aftermarket continuing education division. Although Tire Leadership 21 is a non-degree, continuing education program, it still leverages Northwood’s extensive academic resources, including its world-class faculty and residential campuses

Faculty for Tire Leadership 21 will come from a combination of Northwood’s DeVos Graduate School of Management and subject-matter experts from within the tire and service industries. The program will also include a series of recognized experts – from within and outside of the tire and service industry – to serve as guest speakers.

The program includes on a range of university-level tire dealer focused business, management and leadership subjects:

Finance
Accounting
Business Strategy
Management
Corporate Vision
Leadership
Operations
Industry Trends
Marketing & Social Media
Team & Corporate Culture
The Customer Experience
Critical Thinking
Problem Resolution

The 2015 Tire Leadership 21 program will be limited to 30 participants on a first-come, first-served basis. The program cost, which includes tuition, meals and class materials, is $5,995. Hotel-style, on-campus accommodations are available (Mich. dates only). All management-track/management-potential North American tire dealer employees, managers and owners are eligible to attend.

For more information and to register, visit universityoftheaftermarket.com or contact Brian Cruickshank at [email protected].

The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company has named Ryan Waldron as president of the company's Americas business unit, reporting to Chief Executive Officer and President Mark Stewart. He succeeds Steven R. McClellan, who retired on April 1.

"At Goodyear, our customers are at the center of everything we do, and in Ryan Waldron, we have a customer-centric, execution-focused business leader with a deep understanding of both the marketplace and all aspects of our business, as well as a proven track record of delivering results," Stewart said. "I am thrilled to announce him as president of Goodyear's Americas business and have enormous confidence that under his leadership, both the company and our customers will reach even greater levels of success."