WHO
Tomo Mizutani
President, Toyo Tire Holdings of Americas

WHAT
UC Irvine Career Breakthrough Series: A President’s Story
Mizutani will be a featured speaker for students, alumni, and community members at the University of California, Irvine. Prior to being appointed President of Toyo Tire Holdings of Americas, he served as President of Nitto Tire USA, based in Cypress. He will share his inspiring story, business perspective, advice from the executive suite, and outlook on marketing and the global supply chain. The event will be jointly hosted by UC Irvine Extension, UCI Alumni Association and UCI Career Center.

WHERE
Newkirk Alumni Center
University of California, Irvine
450 Alumni Ct, Irvine, CA 92697-1225

WHEN
1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Tuesday, April 1, 2014

WHY
Tomo Mizutani began his career at the Japanese trading company, Nissho Iwai, in 1984. He was then assigned to the struggling Nitto Tire business in the United States in 1992, beginning his deep relationship with the brand. Nitto was nearly discontinued by the parent company in Japan, but Mizutani’s passion and intensive market research helped to shift the target, and in three years the business started to see a profit. Since then Nitto’s revenue has increased three-fold, with tire units more than doubling. While catering to the auto enthusiasts who helped establish the brand, Mizutani led Nitto’s award-winning marketing efforts by expanding the brand through bold digital strategies. Garnering nearly 6.0 million Facebook fans, Mizutani is also known for embracing initiatives such as mobile gaming and brand created video content. He was recently appointed President of Toyo Tire Holdings of Americas.