Yokohama Tire Corp. (YTC) has added two top-level executives: Naoki "Nick" Takeda, executive vice president and chief financial officer; and Taketoshi Morita, vice president of OE business.

Takeda, who started working for YTC’s parent company, Yokohama Rubber Co. (YRC), in 1988, returns to YTC after two years as general manager of YRC’s tire business planning department.

In 1993, Takeda worked at YTC as assistant treasurer in finance and accounting. He went back to Japan in 1995 and held several positions, including assistant manager of the Mishima plant (2000). He returned again to YTC in 2010 as CFO and treasurer before going back to YRC in 2011.

“While being the head of Yokohama’s global tire business, Mr. Takeda was also supporting various YTC projects, such as the new Mississippi plant,” said Takayuki Hamaya, YTC chief operating officer. “Now he will not only be supporting, but creating more strategic projects for YTC’s future growth.”

Morita moved from Spain to the U.S. to join YTC in the newly created vice president of OE business position. He began his career with YRC in 1987 and has held several positions, including manager of OE sales (1993), manager of the tire overseas sales department (2002), general manager of the Dubai office (2003) and president of Yokohama Iberia (Spain and Portugal) from 2009 to 2013.

“With his experience in YRC’s OE business and overseas sales departments, Mr. Morita will prove to be a great asset for developing new OE opportunities for YTC,” Hamaya said. “Andy Zeisser, YTC’s OE director, will report to Mr. Morita.”