TBC CEO Olsen Steps Down, Former Michelin Exec. to Step In

TBC CEO Olsen Steps Down, Former Michelin Exec. to Step In

Laurent Bourrut, a senior executive with experience working for Michelin, Alcan and Pechiney, and Legrand, will lead TBC Corp.

TBC Corporation President and CEO Erik R. Olsen is stepping down effective June 30.

Olsen has spent 17 years at TBC Corporation, and seven-and-a-half as the company’s president and CEO.

Laurent Bourrut, a senior executive with 36 years of diverse experience in business management, operations, sales, marketing and supply chain, will take over to lead TBC as president & CEO.

Bourrut joined Michelin in 2007 as chief procurement officer and took over the worldwide OE business in 2011. He is a member of the Groupe Executive Committee, in charge of the worldwide road transport and distribution business lines, as well as the European region. Prior to Michelin, Bourrut held executive positions at Alcan and Pechiney and various management positions at Legrand.

Olsen joined TBC in 2004 as senior vice president and chief marketing officer. After one year with the organization, his responsibilities were expanded to include oversight of TBC’s distribution arm, at the time Carroll Tire, as president. In 2008, he was named president and CEO of TBC Wholesale Group. He was appointed COO of TBC Corporation in 2013, and, in January 2014, he took office as TBC Corporation’s president and chief executive officer.

TBC says under his leadership the company experienced rapid growth and expansion; navigated the integration of Carroll Tire and TCi to create NTW; was recognized as one of 50 most engaged workplaces in North America; earned the highest customer experience ratings in the company’s history; and strategically expanded the organization’s footprint and service area all while implementing and capitalizing on strategic initiatives to support the organization’s industry-leading position.

Over the next few months, Erik and TBC’s executive leadership team will work alongside Bourrut and Sam Kato, incoming chief administrative officer, to ensure a seamless transition, the company says.

Sam-Kato-TBC
Sam Kato

Sam Kato, currently executive officer and general manager of the automobility division in charge of global mobility businesses, including tire businesses at Sumitomo’s headquarters in Tokyo, will lead the organization as chief administrative officer (CAO). In this newly-created role, Kato will work alongside team members focused on legal and compliance, human resources, IT, digital, corporate strategy and communications to support the efforts of the organization’s focus on an industry leading shared services model, the company says.

Kato is a senior executive with 35 years of experience in various automotive fields, including national marketing and distribution at Mazda North America, and CEO of an automotive-dedicated consulting firm, both of which were joint ventures with two or more shareholders. Kato served as a director of the board of TBC Corporation from 2015 until 2018, when he was based in New York leading Sumitomo’s transportation businesses in North and South America. He also played a leading role in the evolution of TBC to a 50/50 joint venture with Michelin, the company says.

You May Also Like

Yokohama Rubber holds groundbreaking for Mexico tire plant

The facility is set to begin production in early 2027 with a planned annual output of five million tires.

Yokohama-Mexico-Groundbreaking-event

Yokohama Rubber held a groundbreaking event on April 15 for its new consumer and light truck tire plant at the Alianza Industrial Park in Saltillo, Coahuila, Mexico. The company said the event was well attended by a crowd of state and local officials, as well as management from Yokohama companies, including YRC Chairman and CEO Masataka Yamishi; Yokohama Corporation North America (YCNA) CEO Shinichi Takimoto; and Yokohama Tire Corporation (YTC) President and CEO Jeff Barna.

TIA chooses Planet Hollywood for SEMA pre-show events

TIA’s pre-show events, encompassing the annual membership meeting and cocktail reception, will happen at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino.

Dick-Guck-TIA-SEMA-Press-Conf
RNR Tire Express honors the legacy of franchisee Richard Rose

Rose was posthumously awarded with the franchise’s second-ever Lifetime Achievement Award.

RNR-Tire-Richard-Rose
McCarthy Tire Service earns gold in Best of the Best contest

The company secured gold awards in four categories, including Best Employer, Best Auto Repair, Best Car Wash and Best Auto Detail.

award-stock
Continental Tire discusses how prioritizing dealer feedback maximizes profits

Continental Tire executives talk about the status of the PLT tire market, the company’s strategic balance between OE and replacement tire offerings, and more.

conti-Combo-1400

Other Posts

How Lucid Motors leverages tire manufacturer partnerships to drive sustainable innovations

The automotive industry is leveraging supplier partnerships to overcome common sustainability challenges.

michelin-lucid-tires-1400
Anyline secures funding from Austrian agency for AI development

Anyline received around $2.86 million to fund research and development of Closed Loop Training for artificial intelligence models.

ANYLINE-AI-stock
Continental appoints new ‘head of region’ for the US, Canada

In this role, Rob Schroeder will oversee all of material handling, port, earthmoving and agriculture tire business in the United States and Canada.

Conti-RobSchroeder_HeadofRegion
K&M Tire adds Jon Zurcher as executive vice president

Zurcher previously served as COO for Best-One Tire for the past seven years.

John-Z-K&M