THRIVE by Bridgestone Americas

THRIVE Season 5 is starting on the road with host Keith Cawley bringing listeners bite-size episodes from CES 2023. In this conversation, Keith dives into the high-speed world of the Indy Autonomous Challenge (IAC), which organizes racing competitions with self-driving cars programmed by university teams from across the globe. Keith talks with Paul Mitchell , President of the IAC, about the latest...

THRIVE Season 5 is starting on the road with host Keith Cawley bringing listeners bite-size episodes from CES 2023. In this first episode, we visit the Amazon Web Services (AWS) booth to dig deep into the world of data and insights with Wendy Bauer , general manager of AWS Automotive and Manufacturing. Learn how AWS is leveraging cloud and connected technologies to accelerate innovation, and how t...

Whether rolling on four wheels or two, enthusiast drivers pour their time, money and passion into automotive pursuits, and they deserve tires that reward these investments. THRIVE host Keith Cawley chats with Ian McKenney , Senior Product Manager for Consumer Tire, and Jared Williams , General Manager of Motorcycle Products in the U.S. and Canada, about how Bridgestone is doubling down on the ultr...

In our world of tires, what you see carrying cars and trucks in your daily travels is just the beginning. One of Bridgestone's most premium tire portfolios is off the road – literally. The Off the Road (OTR) tire business supports vital industries that operate in the most grueling conditions, including mining and construction. This is where you'll find the biggest tires that Bridgestone makes, as...

There is no debating that events of the past few years have altered our professional and personal lives. In response to these shifts, a more open and dynamic conversation is growing around personal well-being, as well as the role employers play in supporting their employees. In this episode, Keith Cawley talks with two well-being experts at Bridgestone: Molly Colli , Director of Benefits Administr...

Bridgestone Americas Veterans Organization, or BRAVO for short, is an Employee Resource Group that not only plays a major role in helping the company recruit and retain teammates with military service, but it also invites both veterans and non-veterans to unite in a fellowship of service. In this episode of THRIVE, the group's President and Vice President, Joe Bailey and Marty Morrison , offer lis...

Did you know Bridgestone has its own payment solutions company? CFNA was founded in the late 1970s to provide customers with financing help for auto care. Considering 50% of Americans are ill prepared for surprise costs of $500 or more, CFNA has proven to be a financing lifeline to customers for five decades. Learn more about how CFNA fits into Bridgestone in this episode of THRIVE when host Keith...

In the first episode of THRIVE season 4, Sara Correa , Chief Marketing Officer for Bridgestone Americas, introduces Bridgestone's succinct new brand voice: What Really Matters . The multi-channel behavioral platform is a new approach for the iconic brand, which is shifting its marketing to focus on actions over advertisements and purpose over performance. Learn more about how it will help Bridgest...

Bridgestone's roots in the Rubber City of Akron, Ohio date back more than 120 years through the Firestone brand, and significant investments over the past few decades have further solidified this region as the home of Bridgestone Americas research and development well into the future. Now in 2022, the company is also ready to add a new chapter to its storied history of race tire manufacturing in t...

While the structure, technology and performance of tires has evolved significantly over time, the one constant for more than a century has been the air required for it to function. But as Bridgestone considers the future of mobility, the introduction of non-pneumatic tires – or airfree tires – would be a significant breakthrough for safety, efficiency, maintenance, and sustainability. In this epis...

Bridgestone has outlined a vision to provide value to society and its customers in the future as a sustainable solutions company. Now through its global Bridgestone E8 Commitment, the company is more clearly defining that value with eight focus areas - energy, ecology, efficiency, extension, economy, emotion, ease, and empowerment. Bridgestone Americas President and CEO Paolo Ferrari joins THRIVE...

Bridgestone knows collaboration, not isolation, is the key to realizing its transformation into a sustainable solutions company. Michael Molitor and Charlotte Ammouri are part of the corporate development team responsible for helping identify, cultivate and execute strategic investments, partnerships and more – and they've had a busy few months. The duo sits down with host Keith Cawley to discuss...

Creating an Employee Resource Group (ERG) for young professionals at Bridgestone looking to grow and develop seemed straightforward when BNEXTGEN was formed in 2018, but the group soon realized there was significant appetite and opportunity to continuously learn and network across all age groups in our company. Now renamed BNEXT, the group is embracing a broader focus on cultivating Bridgestone le...

They may not have a crystal ball, but a cross-functional team at Bridgestone of experts and innovators still manages to predict the future when it comes to gauging industry trends and anticipating the needs of customers and consumers. In this episode of THRIVE, host Keith Cawley talks with Will Robbins , Director of Consumer Product Strategy, and Iris Ocasio , Consumer Product Planner, about how B...

With battery electric and hybrid vehicles estimated to represent more than half of U.S. new cars sales by 2030, new electric vehicle startups are disrupting the car parc to drive innovation with and against the traditional automotive giants. Our host Keith Cawley explores Bridgestone's strategy for identifying and working with these emerging original equipment manufacturers (eOEMs) in a conversati...

Bringing the garage to you. That's precisely what Bridgestone's newest business – Firestone Direct – is accomplishing with a new mobile tire and vehicle service that offers tire installation and repair, oil changes, brake work, and more to customers at the comforts of their home or office. In this episode, Keith Cawley explores how Firestone Direct is reimagining auto care through a conversation w...

Bridgestone's Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) have a big influence on our workplace culture where teammates are free to be their authentic selves. In celebration of Black History Month, host Keith Cawley chats with two leaders from BBOLD, our ERG for Black and African-American teammates and their allies. Kristy Offitt , Senior Counsel for Labor and Employment, and Don Frost , Senior Project Manage...

In 1957, at a time when the term sustainability was relatively unknown, Bridgestone's Bandag business began pioneering the concept of retreading tires. Since then, its efforts to extend tire life have kept 300 million tires out of the waste stream. In 2021 alone, Bandag's retreading of  6 million tires  saved 4.8 Billion kWh in new tire production, which is enough energy to power over 160 million...

To kick off season three, host Keith Cawley invites Taren Rodabaugh , Chief Information Officer at Bridgestone Americas, to the THRIVE studio for our first in-person podcast to talk technology and the digital transformation taking place both in and around Bridgestone. They discuss how this digitalization is impacting our workplace and our North Star strategy, what is on the horizon for Bridgestone...

Welcome to season 3 of THRIVE, a Bridgestone Americas Podcast where you'll get to hear – and for the first time see – our conversations with the people pushing our company forward every day. We'll discuss strategy and vision, explore key business areas like mobility and sustainability, and highlight aspects of our company culture that make Bridgestone such an exciting and engaging place to work.

In the final episode of season two, host Keith Cawley talks to Nizar Trigui , Chief Technology Officer and Group President of Solutions Businesses at Bridgestone Americas, about how the various topics of conversation on season 1 and 2 of THRIVE truly connect within one overall strategy that is bringing our North Star to life. Nizar explores our approach and activity related to research and develop...

In September of 2021, Bridgestone Americas accelerated its mobility solutions journey by acquiring Azuga, a Silicon Valley-based technology company revolutionizing fleet management in the U.S. with a powerful platform that provides insights and data analytics for vehicle operations and driver behavior. THRIVE host Keith Cawley dives into this exciting partnership with Azuga's Founder and CEO, Anan...

In 2015, Bridgestone forged a unique partnership with Metro Nashville Public Schools to support the Maplewood High School Automotive Training Center, an immersive program helping students develop trade skills and identify career opportunities in the auto industry. The successful venture has already graduated more than 110 students and is now being replicated through a similar partnership in Akron,...

Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) are critical components in Bridgestone's efforts to build a culture of diversity, equity and inclusion. In 2020, B~UNIDOS was introduced as a new ERG to engage Hispanic and Latinx teammates and their allies at Bridgestone. On this episode, our host Keith Cawley talks to B~UNIDOS co-presidents Paola Mendoza , Talent Acquisition Partner, and Griscelle Anacker , Strate...

Bridgestone is proud to serve as a Worldwide Paralympic Partner to promote diversity and inclusivity through sport, and it works with a trio of adaptive sports groups in North America to extend these efforts into its local communities. This episode of THRIVE is hosted by Zac Ellis while our regular host Keith Cawley (whose day job involves managing communications for our sports partnerships) takes...