Bridgestone Europe, Middle East, India and Africa (EMIA), one of the global leaders in tyres and sustainable mobility solutions, has appointed Jacques Fourie, current Group CEO of Bridgestone South Africa, as the Vice President and Managing Director of its operations in the Middle East and Africa region.
He will assume his new role as the VP for Middle East and Africa region on January 1, 2023, in addition to continuing his position as the Group CEO of Southern Africa holdings – which includes BSAF, Supa Quick, Otraco, and Bandag.
Fourie brings over 21 years of experience and joined the Bridgestone Group in 2019 as the Group CEO for its South African operations. He has been instrumental in delivering a culture of transformation across the company, which led to restored profitability, market share growth, certification as a Top Employer and BBB-EE level 1 contributor (a transformational program by the South African government that addresses inequality) and the acquisition of the mining solutions company Otraco into Bridgestone EMIA. Fourie completed his honours bachelor’s degree in Finance and attended Business school at Gordons Institute for Business Studies (GIBS) and London Business School (LBS).
Commenting on his appointment, Fourie said: “I am delighted to oversee the Middle East and Africa divisions. Leading Bridgestone South Africa has been a rewarding experience, and I have been proud of the division’s growth, and the commitment of the teams towards its development. We have witnessed challenging times in the past few years, and despite these challenges, I am pleased to see fruitful results of our hard work. I look forward to contributing to the efforts of Bridgestone MEA to position itself a leading global mobility solutions provider and will dedicate my expertise to further develop the company by delivering high-quality solutions to customers.”
Fourie succeeded Stefano Sanchini, previous VP of Bridgestone MEA, and will spearhead the company’s operations in the Middle East and Africa region, integrating the two regions under one leadership.
The recent change in leadership roles reflects the company’s commitment to transform its respective business divisions, while integrating them into Bridgestone EMIA. The company has successfully recognised leaders that have achieved positive results and demonstrated leadership quality by mitigating unprecedented challenges.