Dunlop Tires North America (DTNA), a subsidiary of Sumitomo Rubber Industries, has named Robert Liu to a product management leadership role. The company said Liu joins as assistant vice president of product management, bringing more than 30 years of experience in the tire and automotive industries. DTNA expects his background to help guide 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 before spending 27 years at Continental Tire. His work there covered product research and development, sales, and product management. He also spent five years in Shanghai as an expatriate, leading product management and R&D for the Asia-Pacific region. Most recently, he led R&D for the American region, with a focus on replacement passenger light truck (PLT) tires.
In the new role, Liu is to lead product development aimed at bringing compelling solutions to market. He will oversee PLT and truck and bus radial (TBR) products with DTNA's product management team. Ken Hsu, DTNA's vice president of marketing, said the company was pleased to welcome Liu and that his tire-industry experience and leadership align with its innovation and growth goals. Hsu added that Liu's insights are expected to benefit product strategies as DTNA moves forward.