Paolo Ferrari was named President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Bridgestone Americas, in January 2020. In addition, he serves as Global Chief Business Solutions Officer and Executive Vice President and Executive Officer of Bridgestone Corporation.
As President and CEO, Ferrari leads the growth strategy for Bridgestone in the Americas with a focus on helping achieve the company’s vision to be a leader in mobility and solutions.
Ferrari began his career in sales management at luxury brand Zegna in New York in 1994, rapidly gaining experience in sales, marketing and project management. Over the following years, he built his expertise in finance, general management and technology, first at Credit Suisse First Boston in London and then at Kataweb, the Internet company of Gruppo L’Espresso. From 2002 to 2011, he took on a series of CEO roles within TIM (Telecom Italia) Group in Italy, Germany and France and managed assets in Latin America and Southeast Asia. His business development acumen brought the Group key strategic gains through skillful turnaround of key enterprises.
As a result of his global exposure, multi-industry business development expertise and deep understanding of the American market, Ferrari was appointed Chairman and CEO of Pirelli North America in January of 2012 and later CEO of Pirelli Latin America. Through these roles, he built his expertise in tires and automotive and achieved double-digit growth and market leadership.
In 2016, Ferrari joined Bridgestone as CEO and President of Bridgestone Europe, Middle East, India and Africa (EMIA). While in this role, he focused on R&D investment, product development, distribution expansion and digital mobility solutions while putting the customer at the center of his strategy.
In 2017, he was appointed Vice President and Senior Officer of Bridgestone Corporation, and was named Executive Vice President, Executive Officer and Global Digital Strategic Officer of Bridgestone Corporation in 2018. He also previously served as Chairman of the Bridgestone Americas Board of Directors.
Ferrari earned his bachelor’s degree in business and economics from the Milan Bocconi University and an MBA from the New York University Stern School of Business.
Scott Damon was named Chief Operating Officer, Bridgestone Americas in June 2021. In this role, he is responsible for the Core Tire Business, including Consumer Replacement and Consumer OE and TBR Replacement and TBR OE as well as responsibility for the OTR, Ag and Latin America businesses. Additionally, Scott will retain responsibility for Manufacturing, LSCM, Quality and Procurement. In addition, Damon serves as Vice President and Senior Officer of Bridgestone Corporation and Member of the Board, Bridgestone Europe, Middle East, India and Africa
Damon previously served as Group President, Operations for Bridgestone since 2019. In this role, he was responsible for the strategic focus and integration of the company’s end-to-end supply chain. Prior to his role as Group President Operations, Damon served as President, Commercial Group, U.S. and Canada, Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations (BATO), where he oversaw all business operations within the commercial tire portfolio including Truck and Bus (TBR) tires, the company’s Bandag retread business, Firestone Agricultural tires, Off-the-Road (OTR) tires and the commercial retail operations of GCR Tires & Service.
Damon joined Bridgestone Americas in 1996 as Development Engineer for Bandag in Muscatine, Iowa. Bridgestone Americas acquired Bandag in 2007, integrating it into the Bridgestone Commercial business. In his time with Bridgestone, he has served in various leadership roles providing strategic direction to the businesses, including President, Firestone Industrial Products, President of Speedco, Executive Director of Strategic Planning, Bridgestone Americas Technical Center, and Vice President of Marketing for the Commercial Truck Tire and Retreading segments.
Damon graduated from Carnegie Mellon University with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. He earned an MBA from Frostburg State University and completed certificate studies in Executive Leadership and Management at the University of Notre Dame.
Gabriel Asbun was named Group President, Integrated Businesses, Bridgestone Americas in June 2021. As Group President, Integrated Businesses, Gabriel has responsibility for Bridgestone Retail Operations (BSRO), Credit First National Association (CFNA) and Firestone Industrial Products (FSIP).
Previously, Asbun served as Group President, Americas Tire and Solutions Business, Bridgestone Americas.
Prior to returning to Bridgestone Americas in April 2020, Asbun served as CEO of the Bridgestone China and Asia Pacific (BSCAP) business and was based in Singapore. As CEO of BSCAP, Asbun was responsible for the corporate governance structure and operations across all markets in the China and Asia Pacific region, and had full accountability for overall business performance. He also led strategy and oversight for the Sales and Marketing, Logistics and Supply Chain Management, and IT functions, which encompassed 12 sales and manufacturing companies, 13 tire manufacturing plants and proving ground facilities in China, Thailand and Indonesia. He has experience working across the Bridgestone enterprise, having previously served for 5 years as President of the company’s Latin American operations when he joined the company in November of 2012.
Asbun has broad experience in cross-cultural, multi-lingual, multi-regional business management. Prior to joining Bridgestone, Asbun spent 12 years at the Kellogg Company, most recently serving as President of the company’s Mexico Business Unit. From 1990 to 2000, Asbun worked for strategy-consulting firm, Booz Allen & Hamilton, assisting companies in developing business strategies and transformational initiatives throughout Latin America.
Asbun holds a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical-Electrical Engineering with a concentration in Industrial Engineering from the Universidad Panamericana in Mexico City where he graduated with Honors. He has an MBA from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Asbun is fluent in Spanish, English and Portuguese with a basic knowledge of French.
Sara Correa is Chief Marketing Officer for Bridgestone Americas. In this role, Correa leads the company’s Marketing Center of Excellence and all marketing activations for the company’s tire and solutions businesses in the U.S. and Canada. She oversees all brand and digital marketing efforts for the Bridgestone and Firestone brands; the company’s sports and engagement platforms; corporate communications; research and insights; and the company’s training initiatives.
An accomplished senior marketing executive with diverse, cross-industry experience, Correa has achieved nearly two decades of success identifying, developing, and commercializing B2B technology-based solutions in complex global markets.
Prior to joining Bridgestone, Correa was Vice President, Segment Chief Marketing Officer at TE Connectivity (NYSE: TEL), a publicly traded company and global leader in connectors and sensors for the transportation, medical technology, energy and data communications sectors. Before joining TE Connectivity, Correa functioned in marketing roles encompassing a broad scope of responsibilities, including domestic and global marketing, marketing strategy, organizational development, transformational leadership and project management. She previously worked for Thomson Reuters, Robson Forensic and the Federation of the American Societies for Experimental Biology.
Correa is a graduate of The Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University.
Jason Fisher was named Chief Human Resources Officer for Bridgestone Americas in November 2020. In this role, Fisher is responsible for leading the development and implementation of Bridgestone Americas’ people strategies to support the company’s business strategies and the approximately 50,000 Bridgestone Americas teammates across the globe.
Fisher joined Bridgestone Americas in 2010 as General Counsel, Labor & Employment, overseeing all of the company’s labor and employment legal matters and compliance, also serving as a member of the company’s lead labor negotiating team. He moved into the role of Vice President, Labor Relations at the beginning of 2014, becoming the company’s chief labor negotiator and taking on HR responsibility for the company’s manufacturing operations.
In 2015, pending the hiring of a new Chief Human Resources Officer, Fisher served as the Acting Vice President of HR, leading the day to day operations of the full Human Resources function, concurrently with his Vice President of Labor Relations responsibilities. After a new CHRO was hired, Fisher was promoted to Vice President of Business Human Resources and Labor Relations in 2016. In this new role, Fisher served as the senior HR executive overseeing all Human Resource Business Partner and Labor Relations teams, also working closely with the CHRO to shape the strategy, structure, talent planning, budgeting and resource allocation for the function. Prior to being promoted to Chief Human Resources Officer, Fisher was named Senior Vice President of Human Resources in 2019.
Before joining Bridgestone, Fisher was a labor and employment partner with the Nashville law firm Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis. He received a bachelor’s degree in economics from Oglethorpe University, magna cum laude, and then a law degree from the Emory University School of Law with high honors. He also completed Cornell University’s Modern CHRO executive development program.
Amanda Mathis serves as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Executive Vice President of Bridgestone Americas. In this role, Mathis is responsible for overseeing all strategic aspects of finance, accounting, procurement and financial shared services for the company’s international operations, including management of the 900 teammates within these departments. Additionally, she is responsible for mergers and acquisitions, financial reporting, cash flow and debt management throughout Bridgestone Americas. Mathis is also a Member of the Board for Bridgestone Americas.
Mathis joined Bridgestone in 2012 as Controller for the Consumer Tire Division. She was later promoted to Vice President, Finance for Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations, North America, and concurrently named acting CFO.
Prior to joining Bridgestone, Mathis spent nine years at Yum! Brands, Inc., the world's largest system restaurant company. In her last role at Yum!, Mathis served as CFO of Long John Silver’s and A&W Restaurants. Mathis also previously held finance positions of increasing responsibility at Yum!, having started her career in investment banking at the Royal Bank of Canada Capital Markets and Morgan Keegan.
Mathis received a 2016 Women of Influence Award from the Nashville Business Journal and serves on the board of directors for the Tennessee Breast Cancer Coalition. She graduated from Emory University, double majoring in business and economics with concentrations in finance and marketing.
Chris Nicastro is Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer, Chief Compliance Officer and Chief Risk Officer for Bridgestone Americas. Nicastro oversees the Bridgestone Americas Law Department, Internal Audit, Corporate Security and Government Affairs functions. He also serves as Chair of the Bridgestone Americas Board of Directors.
In addition, Nicastro serves as Vice President, Senior Officer and Group Global General Counsel of Bridgestone Corporation; Member of the Board of Directors of Bridgestone China Asia Pacific (BSCAP), Chair of the BSCAP Board’s Governance and Risk Committee; Chair of the Bridgestone Americas Board’s Governance and Risk Committee; and a member of the Bridgestone Americas Board’s Audit Committee.
Nicastro joined Bridgestone in 2008 as General Counsel for Latin America and Corporate Compliance for Bridgestone Americas. Prior to joining Bridgestone, Nicastro spent seven years as Assistant General Counsel for Yazaki North America, Inc. in Canton, Michigan. He had earlier worked as an in-house corporate attorney at Marconi Data Systems, Inc., in Wood Dale, Illinois.
After graduating magna cum laude from the University of Michigan Law School, Nicastro served as a law clerk to the Hon. Ann C. Williams of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. Nicastro is married with three sons and lives in Nashville.
Craig Schneider was named Chief Strategy Officer, Bridgestone Americas in June 2021. As Chief Strategy Officer, Craig is responsible for supporting the evolution of our business from a tire company to an advanced solutions and sustainable mobility company through the strategies outlined in the company’s Mid-Long Term Business Plan, including reshaping the portfolio and partnership development.
Previously, Schneider served as President, Enterprise Strategy, Corporate Development and Diversified Products, Bridgestone Americas beginning in March 2020. In this role, Schneider had responsibility for Enterprise Strategy, Portfolio & Analytics, Mergers & Acquisitions, and Strategic Initiatives. He was responsible for delivering ideas and initiatives that align with the company’s strategic priorities and to facilitate investment of resources in high growth areas.
Schneider joined Bridgestone in 2017 as President of Firestone Industrial Products. He was soon elevated to President, Diversified Products for Bridgestone Americas in April 2018, overseeing both the Firestone Industrial Products and Firestone Building Products businesses.
Prior to joining Bridgestone, Schneider was Senior Vice President of Retail Sales for Shell Oil Products, where he was responsible for leading operations of recognizable brands and products such as Pennzoil, Quaker State, and Shell Rotella. He also held senior leadership roles across several divisions of Shell Oil Products, including Vice President of the Pennzoil Quaker State Company and Vice President of Marketing for 15,000 retail sites in the U.S. and Canada.
Schneider graduated from Texas A&M University with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering. He earned his MBA from the Jones School of Business at Rice University where he was awarded the Jones Scholar.
Nizar Trigui was named Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Bridgestone Americas in March 2017, and expanded his role to include Group President, Solutions Businesses, Bridgestone Americas in June 2021. In January 2022, Nizar was named Vice President and Senior Officer of Bridgestone Corporation BSAM Member of the Board. As CTO and Group President, Solutions Businesses, Trigui leads research and development efforts, is building a business-first approach to innovation and has responsibility for Mobility Solutions, IT and Circular Economy, in addition to R&D, Technology and all Akron-based operations. He is accelerating the commercialization of technology products, services and solutions to bring new ideas to market and fuel business growth.
Nizar joined Bridgestone from DURA Automotive where he most recently served as CTO and Executive Vice President leading corporate product strategy, technology portfolio and global product development. Prior to DURA, he held a series of executive positions with Ford Motor Company in the U.S. and Jaguar Land Rover in England.
Trigui earned his bachelor’s degree, master’s degree and Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from The Ohio State University. He also received executive training at the Yale University School of Management and is a two-time winner of the prestigious Henry Ford Technology Award.
TJ Higgins serves as Vice President and Senior Officer, Global Chief Business Strategic Officer, Global Chief Digital Strategic Officer, and Global Chief Sustainability Officer for Bridgestone Corporation. In addition to these roles, he concurrently serves as Vice Chair of the Bridgestone Americas Board of Directors; Supervisory Board Chair, Bridgestone Europe, Middle East, India, and Africa (BSEMIA); Chair of the Board, Bridgestone China Asia Pacific; and Executive Vice President, Bridgestone Americas. He is based in Nashville, Tenn.
Prior to accepting his global roles, Higgins was Group President for the Americas Tire Business of Bridgestone Americas. In this role, he was responsible for leading all sales-related activities across the company’s consumer and commercial tire businesses.
Higgins joined Bridgestone Americas in 2014 as President of the Consumer Integrated Tire Group, where he set the growth strategy for the company’s consumer tire business in the U.S. and Canada, leading the teams that manage tire sales for the original equipment and replacement segments. He also oversaw Bridgestone Retail Operations, the world’s largest network of company-owned tire and automotive service centers, and the Bridgestone consumer credit lending business, Credit First National Association (CFNA).
Before joining Bridgestone, Higgins served as the North America Regional President for Pfizer Consumer Healthcare where he was responsible for leading the operations of recognizable brands and products such as Advil, Centrum, ChapStick, Robitussin and Emergen-C. He also previously held leadership positions at Merck and Vlasic Foods.
Higgins graduated summa cum laude from Lehigh University with a bachelor’s degree in accounting. He earned his MBA at Harvard University.