GRI has appointed Barry Guildford as global commercial director (GCD), effective March 1. As the GCD, Guilford will lead the global sales and marketing organization of GRI. In his most recent role as the head of region northeast Europe & head of sales of ContiTrade at Continental, GRI said Guilford orchestrated the overhaul of automotive retail networks across multiple countries. His initiatives in EV car service diversification, fleet business development and digital fleet management solutions set new standards in the industry, the company said.

“Barry Guildford’s appointment as our GCD is a testament to our commitment to excellence, business innovation and growth. His extensive experience and proven leadership skills make him the ideal candidate to drive GRI’s commercial strategy forward,” Prabhash Subasinghe, managing director of GRI said.

Under Guildford’s leadership, GRI said it’s poised to capitalize on emerging opportunities, expand its market presence and reinforce its commitment to delivering specialty tire solutions to customers globally.