As of March 1, the former Sales Manager for the car tires division, Ovidiu Balan, replaced former CEO, Octavian Velcan, who was appointed Manager for the Middle East.

Balan has worked for Goodyear Dunlop Tyres Romania since 2003. Between 2001 and 2003, he acted as Representative Office-Brand Coordinator within Goodyear Luxembourg Tires.

Prior to his career with Goodyear, he was Country Sales Manager for companies Brimex Consumer and Macromex. He has a master’s degree from the U.K Open University Business School.

Unlike its main competitors, Goodyear Dunlop Tyres does not have production units in Romania and is only operating on the sales segment. It posted a 20 percent increase in turnover last year, compared to the €35 million registered in 2006.

The local tire market is estimated at some 1.2 million units annually.