Will Roland
GOODYEAR TIRE & RUBBER CO /OH/About Will Roland
Will Roland is Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) at The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, a role he assumed in 2024; Goodyear announced his appointment effective August 1, 2024 . He previously led Media, Consumers, Analytics and Digital for Stellantis North America and was President of Solutions for Publicis Media; he holds a BS in Marketing from Clemson University and serves on the Erwin Center Alumni Advisory Board and iSpot’s Client Advisory Board . Context on company performance during his initial tenure: 2024 net sales were $18,878 million, segment operating income increased 36% year over year to $1,318 million with a 7.0% SOI margin; long-term awards’ TSR modifier for the 2022–2024 cycle was 0.80x (17th percentile) .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stellantis North America | SVP, Media, Consumers, Analytics & Digital | Not disclosed | Led integration of data, analytics and insights into consumer marketing channels . |
| Publicis Media | President, Solutions | Not disclosed | Oversaw data/platform management, advanced analytics, data science and applied marketing strategies . |
| Zenith (Publicis) | EVP; SVP Strategy & Operations | Not disclosed | Senior leadership roles in media operations and strategy . |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clemson University, Erwin Center for Brand Communications | Alumni Advisory Board Member | Not disclosed | Supports brand communications program and industry-university engagement . |
| iSpot | Client Advisory Board Member | Not disclosed | Advises on media measurement and analytics . |
Fixed Compensation
- Will Roland was not listed among Goodyear’s named executive officers (NEOs) in the 2025 proxy (NEOs: Stewart, Zamarro, Delaney, Phillips, Helsel, with Kramer/McClellan as retirees), so his base salary and bonus details are not disclosed in the latest DEF 14A .
Performance Compensation
- Goodyear’s incentive architecture (applies to corporate officers; individual grant and payout details for Roland are not disclosed):
- Annual Incentive Plan metrics/weights streamlined for 2024 to align with “Goodyear Forward”: Free Cash Flow (40%), Segment Operating Income Margin (40%), Strategic Objectives (20%) .
- Long-term awards: Net Income (40%), CFROC (40%), 3-year Margin Growth (20%) with TSR modifier 0.8x–1.2x; RSUs vest ratably over three years .
2024 Annual Incentive Program (Company-Level)
| Metric | Weighting | 2024 Target | 2024 Actual | Payout for Metric | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Segment Operating Income (SOI) Margin | 40% | 7.50% | 6.37% | 78% (31.2% weighted) | SOI Margin = adjusted segment operating income/net sales . |
| Free Cash Flow (FCF) | 40% | $100 million | $46 million (adjusted) | 78% (31.2% weighted) | FCF adjusts for capex and specified items . |
| Strategic Objectives | 20% | New Mobility (TaaS), GHG reduction, PEC maturity | Achieved 10% weighted (0%/5%/5%) | 10% weighted | Reduced weighting from 30% to 20% after shareholder feedback . |
2024 Long-Term Incentive Design and Results (Company-Level)
| Metric | Weighting | 2024 Target | 2024 Actual | % Achieved | TSR Modifier |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net Income ($mm) | 40% | $395 | $302 (adjusted) | 96% | 0.8x at 25th percentile; 1.0x at 55th; 1.2x at 75th; capped at 1.0x if absolute TSR negative . |
| CFROC (%) | 40% | 0.9% | 0.24% | 65% | See modifier above . |
| 3-Year Margin Growth (pts) | 20% | 6.08 pts (2024–2026 cycle) | Not yet determinable (cycle ends 12/31/2026) | n/a | Modifier applies to overall payout . |
- Context: Earnings for 2024 performance periods on outstanding long‑term awards were set at 81% of target, subject to continued service and TSR/ESG/SI modifiers per award type .
Equity Ownership & Alignment
- Stockholding guidelines: C‑suite executives must hold equity equal to a multiple of base salary; for Senior Vice President roles (Roland’s level), the requirement is 3x base salary. Officers must hold 100% of net shares until achieving the guideline; post‑compliance, retain 25% of net shares for at least one year after vest/exercise .
- Hedging and pledging: Company policy prohibits hedging (puts/calls/short sales) and pledging or holding Goodyear securities in margin accounts for all directors, officers and employees .
- Beneficial ownership: The proxy discloses holdings for directors and the named executive officers; Roland is not included in that table and his beneficial ownership is not disclosed in the DEF 14A .
Employment Terms
- Executive Severance and Change in Control Plan: Double‑trigger coverage for officers (benefits payable only upon qualifying termination in proximity to a change‑in‑control), no excise tax gross‑ups or “walk‑away” rights; requires a release and compliance with confidentiality, non‑disparagement, non‑solicit and non‑compete covenants .
- Change‑in‑control triggers in equity plans substantially mirror the severance plan (e.g., 20% stock acquisition, significant Board composition change, acquisition of actual control) based on market practice .
- Clawback: Adopted in October 2023, recovers erroneously awarded incentive compensation over prior three fiscal years in event of restatement; extends to misconduct causing significant financial/reputational harm (discretionary recovery of bonus/equity and realized profits) .
Performance & Track Record
- Strategic role since appointment: In September 2025, Goodyear created a Global Racing organization; its leader reports jointly to the CTO and to Will Roland (SVP & CMO), aligning motorsport strategy with brand and product vision. Roland emphasized motorsport as a central pillar of brand strategy and proof point for technology/performance .
- Company performance context: 2024 segment operating income rose 36% YoY, SOI margin reached 7.0%, and the Goodyear Forward program delivered $480 million of improvements and increased 2025 exit run-rate target to $1.5 billion; portfolio optimization milestones included divestitures to reduce leverage .
Compensation Committee & Shareholder Feedback
- Committee oversight and consultant: Human Capital & Compensation Committee retained Exequity as independent advisor; made program changes to streamline metrics and increase equity in LTI grants, reflecting investor engagement .
- Say‑on‑pay: 94.9% approval at 2024 annual meeting, indicating strong shareholder support for design and alignment .
Investment Implications
- Alignment and incentives: As SVP & CMO, Roland operates under Goodyear’s pay‑for‑performance framework emphasizing FCF, margins, CFROC, and relative TSR, with strict stockholding, anti‑hedging/pledging, and clawback policies—factors that strengthen shareholder alignment and mitigate misaligned risk‑taking .
- Retention risk: Individual compensation, vesting schedules, and ownership levels for Roland are not disclosed in the proxy, limiting visibility into personal retention levers; however, participation in the executive severance/change‑in‑control and clawback regimes, plus non‑compete/non‑solicit requirements, provides structural retention and accountability mechanisms .
- Trading signals: With pledging prohibited and tight insider‑trading policies, forced‑sale risk is reduced; monitor future Form 4 filings for any equity transactions and subsequent proxies for expanded disclosure on CMO compensation and equity grants .