Goodyear Names Stephanie Wernet(A Real Live Internet Person)to Lead North American Tire e-Business

AKRON, Ohio, Nov. 20 -- The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company has named Stephanie K. Wernet, director of e-Business for its North American Tire business unit.

Wernet, 34, will be responsible for the world's largest tiremaker's efforts to utilize Internet technologies to provide customers in the United States and Canada with innovative, high-value products and services and to drive continuous improvement in internal business processes.

``I am thrilled to welcome Stephanie to Goodyear's e-Business team,'' said Nathaniel E. Leonard, global director, e-Commerce. ``She brings a wealth of talents and energy to Goodyear.

``As the e-Business Director in the company's largest business unit she will drive the implementation of a project portfolio that reduces operating expenses, improves our links and relationships with customers and provides incremental revenue opportunities,'' he added.

``Stephanie's experience as a consultant, as an operating manager and at an Internet startup provide her with a combination of strategic skills and operational pragmatism that I am excited to have in the e-Business group.''

Wernet joins Goodyear from EyeVelocity Inc., a Portland, Ore., developer of visual personalization technology for point-of-purchase and Internet applications. She joined EyeVelocity in 2000 and served most recently as vice president, e-commerce.

Prior to that, Wernet was senior director, e-commerce at Reynolds & Reynolds Co. in Dayton, Ohio, from 1997 to 2000. There, she led the company's CarPoint partnership with Microsoft Corp. From 1993 to 1997, Wernet was an engagement manager with McKinsey and Co. in Cleveland, where she assisted manufacturing companies with product and marketing strategies.

She previously held positions with Trilogy Development Group in Palo Alto, Calif.; IBM in Owego, N.Y.; and General Motors Corp. in Warren, Mich.

Wernet, a native of Romeo, Mich., has a bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering from The University of Michigan and a master of business administration degree from Stanford University.