Leading tire maker Bridgestone Corp. on Thursday picked the former head of its European operations as its president and chief executive.
Executive Vice President Shoshi Arakawa, 61, replaces Shigeo Watanabe, who stepped down a year earlier than scheduled because he felt Bridgestone had successfully put behind it the massive tire-recall scandal at its U.S. subsidiary.
Last year, Bridgestone Firestone and Ford Motor Co. reached a settlement in their five-year dispute over accidents involving Firestone ATX and AT tires.