GARY GARFIELD
CEO & President, Bridgestone Americas, Inc.
Senior Vice President, Bridgestone Corporation
Gary Garfield is President and Chief Executive Officer of Bridgestone Americas and Senior Vice President of Bridgestone Corporation, the largest tire and rubber company in the world. Bridgestone Americas accounts for about 45 percent of the global revenue of Bridgestone worldwide, making it the company's largest subsidiary. Bridgestone Americas employs more than 55,000 teammates worldwide and operations on five continents. Through its subsidiaries, Bridgestone Americas manufactures and markets a wide range of tires for a variety of applications primarily under the Bridgestone and Firestone brands. Additionally, among other business units, Bridgestone Americas also owns and operates the world’s largest automotive service and tire retailer, a world leading commercial roofing and building products company, and the worldwide leader in vehicle and equipment air spring technology.
On March 1, 2010, after serving as Vice President and General Counsel for three years, Gary Garfield assumed the role of CEO and President of Bridgestone Americas, Inc. After his March 2011 election as Vice President and Senior Officer of Bridgestone Corporation, Garfield was promoted to his current role, Senior Vice President of Bridgestone Corporation, on September 1, 2014.
In 1991, Garfield joined then-Bridgestone/Firestone, Inc. in Nashville, Tennessee serving as Senior Counsel. In 1995, he was promoted to the position of General Counsel for Bridgestone Firestone Tire Sales Company. In 2002, Garfield was named Vice President and General Counsel of Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire, LLC. In 2007, Garfield accepted the positions of Vice President, General Counsel, Chief Compliance Officer and Secretary of Bridgestone Americas, Inc., positions in which he had served in an “acting” capacity since 2006.
In addition to his work at Bridgestone, Garfield serves as a member of the board of directors of several charitable and industry organizations, including the Tennessee Chapter of the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation, the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, the United Way of Middle Tennessee, Meharry Medical College, and the Rubber Manufacturer’s Association. Garfield also serves on the Steering Committee of Nashville’s Agenda. In January 2011, he joined the United Way of Metropolitan Nashville’s Board of Trustees. He joined the Board of Visitors – Vanderbilt Owen Graduate School of Business in 2011, and in 2012 was named National Chair for the Take Steps Be Heard walk program for the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America. He was a 2013 member of the Greater Nashville Executive Leadership Team for the American Heart Association and is serving as the 2015 Heart Walk Chairman.
Garfield received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy from Wittenberg University and his Juris Doctor from the University of Cincinnati.