Chris Helsel is Senior Vice President, Global Operations and Chief Technology Officer of The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company.

Mindful of the inflection point in mobility, Helsel and his team operate with duality, working to enhance Goodyear’s core tire product while innovating “beyond” tires to enable the evolution and future of movement.  

Applying this segregated but synced approach, Helsel is responsible for a global network of tire technology, innovation, research and product development operations, focused on creating industry-leading solutions for consumer, commercial and off-the-road vehicles, in addition to aviation and racing.

With a devoted emphasis on improving a legacy invention, Helsel’s team has concentrated on developing a global portfolio of products bolstered by a record amount of technology releases.

This focus has delivered a diverse set of products customized to consumer and customer needs garnering respected, third-party validation while concurrently increasing productivity and reducing complexity. 

Upon taking this role in 2017, one of Helsel’s initial decisions was to establish an office in Silicon Valley to take advantage of an epicenter of mobility with intent to co-disrupt with like-minded partners. That office has grown exponentially since, and additional “innovation labs” have been established in other global locations. 

Goodyear’s innovation team is focused on enhancing connectivity, safety and solutions with respect to intelligence in tires, new architectures such as non-pneumatic tires and maintenance-free tires aided by sealant. 

Guided by the trends he defines as FACE (Fleets, Autonomous, Connected, Electric), Helsel has established a long-term vision to develop great products and services that respond to and anticipate customer and consumer needs. 

Helsel serves on the Exascale Computing Project Industry Council and is a lead executive partner with Sandia National Labs.  He recently served as a keynote speaker at the American Automotive Summit and the Tire Society Conference and has been interviewed by the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, USA Today and Business Insider.

He joined Goodyear in 1996 and has worked in computer modeling, tire design and tire technology.  He has deep experience in Goodyear’s commercial tire business, including leading the retread business in North America.  His Goodyear tenure includes a stint in Luxembourg where he led project management and technology development.

Helsel earned his undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering from Cleveland State University and his Master’s from the University of Akron in the same discipline. He lives in Medina, Ohio with his wife and has 3 children.

An avid reader, Helsel’s favorite business book is Playing to Win by Lafley and Martin and The Theodore Roosevelt Series by Edmund Morris is his top biography pick.