Dunlop Tires North America (DTNA), the Sumitomo Rubber Industries subsidiary based in Rancho Cucamonga, California, has named Robert Liu as assistant vice president of product management.
DTNA said Liu brings more than 30 years of experience in the tire and automotive industries, and that he will help steer the Dunlop and Falken brands into their next phase of product innovation and growth.
Liu began his career as a simulation engineer at General Motors, then spent 27 years at Continental Tire, working across product R&D, sales and product management. He spent five years in Shanghai on an expatriate assignment leading product management and R&D for the Asia-Pacific region, and most recently led R&D for the American region with a focus on replacement passenger light truck (PLT) tires.
Scope of the new role
At DTNA, Liu will lead product development work intended to bring compelling solutions to the market, and will oversee PLT and truck and bus radial (TBR) products together with the company's product management team.
Ken Hsu, DTNA's vice president of marketing, said Liu's experience and demonstrated leadership in the tire industry align with the company's goals for innovation and growth, and that his insights are expected to benefit product strategy as the business moves forward.
The appointment spans both the passenger light truck line and the commercial truck and bus segment, the two product areas DTNA said Liu will manage.