Kramer succeeds Jonathan Rich, “who is leaving the company to pursue other leadership options,” according to Goodyear. Kramer, executive vice president and chief financial officer since May 2004, will continue to serve as CFO until his replacement is named.

Kramer joined Goodyear in March 2000 and was elected vice president, corporate finance. In July 2002, he became vice president of finance for the North American Tire business and was promoted to senior vice president, strategic planning and restructuring in August 2003.

Kramer earned a bachelor of science in business administration from Cleveland’s John Carroll University in 1986. Prior to joining Goodyear, he spent 13 years with PricewaterhouseCoopers.

"Rich Kramer has demonstrated outstanding business leadership at every level in his career and has earned the respect of his peers, his associates and Wall Street," said Robert J. Keegan, Goodyear chairman and chief executive officer. "Rich became our chief financial officer under very challenging circumstances, made courageous value-creating decisions, recruited top talent and built a strong finance team.

“He knows the business, knows the customers and understands the challenges," added Keegan. "I believe Rich is the ideal leader to take the North American Tire business to the next level of performance.

"At the same time, I want to thank Jon Rich for his outstanding service to the company and the significant contributions that he made in helping to create the foundation for the future success of the North American business," Keegan continued. "Jon assembled a strong, capable team that has earned the respect of our customers in a challenging environment."

Rich was elected president of Goodyear’s chemical unit in August 2001 after joining the company in September 2000. He was named president of the North American Tire division in December 2002. Prior to joining Goodyear, Rich served in various senior management roles at General Electric.