Apollo Tyres has appointed former Goodyear OE sales director Steven Smidlein as senior vice president for North America, Tyres & Accessories reports.

“With North America almost being an uncharted territory for us, Steven’s 30+ years of sales management and retail experience, especially in the automotive sector, will help establish both Apollo and Vredestein brands in this continent. We would be relying on his proven ability to grow market share, with a focus on delivery of aggressive sales targets,” Neeraj Kanwar, vice chairman and managing director for Apollo Tyres, told T&A.

Smidlein will be based in New Jersey and report to Kanwar. Prior to joining Apollo, Smidlein worked for Goodyear and in various executive roles for carmakers in the U.S., including Chrysler, Honda and Accura.