Michelin North America Chairman Richard Wilkerson To Retire, Pete Selleck Appointed To Succeed

GREENVILLE, SC – June 21, 2011 – Michelin North America Chairman andPresident Richard “Dick” Wilkerson will retire from his role by the endof this year, the Michelin Group announced today.  Wilkerson will become chairman emeritus of Michelin North America upon his retirement.

“Dick has demonstrated exemplary leadership throughout his career atMichelin,” said Jean-Dominique Senard, managing general partner of theMichelin Group.  “Most recently, he helped guide Michelin North Americato record results in spite of the economic recession. Michelin NorthAmerica is emerging from this extremely difficult time even strongerthan before and with the satisfaction of knowing that no employee lost a job at Michelin because of the economy. To recognize his contribution,we are naming Dick to the newly created role of chairman emeritus ofMichelin North America upon his retirement.”

Wilkerson, a 31-year veteran of the company, has been in his currentrole since August 2008. During his tenure as chairman and president,Michelin North America became the largest tire maker in North America by sales and has remained the most profitable tire maker in North Americafor seven consecutive years. 

Wilkerson also led the creation of major community programs, includingMichelin Development in East Alabama and Upstate South Carolina andMichelin Challenge Education. 

Wilkerson said, “My decision to retire as chairman was one of the mostdifficult of my career because of my abiding respect for the men andwomen of Michelin and the values that guide our company.  It has been an honor to serve the company, and I am proud of everything weaccomplished together. However, the time has come to begin a newchapter, one that will allow me to more fully engage in service to thecommunities in which we live and work.”

Pete Selleck (pictured left), currently president of Michelin Truck Tires worldwide, will return toGreenville, S.C., from Michelin’s global headquarters inClermont-Ferrand, France, to succeed him.

Selleck, 55, has been with Michelin for 29 years.  He has served aspresident of Michelin’s global Truck Tire business since January 2006.In this role, Selleck implemented the Michelin Durable Technologiesinnovation program, including the rollout of the X-One tires in NorthAmerica. Additionally, truck tire plants in Europe and North Americawere modernized, while major capacity expansions in China, India andBrazil were launched.

Prior to this assignment, Selleck led the company’s passenger and lighttruck replacement tire division for Europe. His last assignment in North America was as the COO of Michelin Americas Small Tires from 1996 to2003.

Michelin

Dedicated to the improvement of sustainable mobility,Michelin designs, manufactures and sells tires for every type ofvehicle, including airplanes, automobiles, bicycles, earthmovers, farmequipment, heavy-duty trucks, motorcycles and the space shuttle. Thecompany also publishes travel guides, hotel and restaurant guides, mapsand road atlases. Headquartered in Greenville, S.C., Michelin NorthAmerica (www.michelin-us.com) has more than 21,400 people and operates 18 major manufacturing plants in 16 locations.