Ian McKenney
Consumer product strategy manager | Bridgestone Americas Inc. | Franklin, Tenn. | Age: 37
What was your first job in the industry?
My first job, right out of college, was a consumer OE product development engineer. Essentially, I was designing the tires that were applied to new vehicles as they rolled out of the factory.
What attracted you to the industry?
I was initially drawn to the industry though my love of motorsports. I saw tire development as a way to explore my passion for racing.
What is the biggest challenge you have faced in your career?
The biggest challenge that I faced was the decision to leave the technical side of tire development, and my engineering background, and jump into the business and product strategy side of things. It felt very risky to move away from something that I considered myself good at to pursue a whole new opportunity in a different business unit and state.
Who has had the biggest influence on your career?
I've been blessed to have so many excellent influences and mentors throughout my career. I think there are two that stick out in my memory the most. During my time in development, Anthony Marella was a huge influence. He taught me everything there was to know not only about how tires worked, but the why as well. He also showed me that even after you work in this industry for decades, there's always something new to learn. The second big influence in my career is Will Robbins. He came into the tire industry with a similar engineering/development background, but showed what it looked like to successfully transition a technical career into a more business and strategy focused one. He has blazed a path that I'm looking to follow.
What is your biggest accomplishment in the industry?
I can still remember the feeling of pride I had after seeing my first replacement tire line launched into the market. It was humbling to see my hard work being used on the roads around me and knowing all the effort that went into making it possible.
Tell us about your current job and responsibilities. How do you spend your workday?
At the moment, I am responsible for the touring, performance and winter segments of the consumer replacement tire portfolio for both the Bridgestone and Firestone brands. Most of my day is spent combing through industry data to understand the latest trends related to tire performance, sizing, merchandizing, etc. With my engineering background, I try to leverage these data sources to make quantitative decisions, while also understanding that the tire industry may have just as much art as it does science. Given that the product strategy role contacts so many other parts of the business, a good portion of my time is spent answering tire specific questions for colleagues or having high level discussions with sales, logistics, manufacturing and engineering about current product performance and where we'll need to go to be more successful in the future.
What's been the biggest surprise of your current job?
One thing that I didn't fully appreciate until I was in the role was how much influence our relatively small team can have on the business. Thoughts shared with colleagues, and discussions held with partners can meaningfully affect the overall direction of our replacement tire portfolio. The changes can impact not only our product lines, but entire industry segments in a dramatic way.
Tell us about your family.
I was born in Indianapolis, Ind., and raised by two brilliant and loving parents. They created an excellent childhood for my younger sister and me. After moving to Northeast Ohio to start my career, I met my wife and we married in 2018. We made the big decision to move down to Nashville, Tenn., as part of my career shift in 2019 and we've welcomed both a daughter (4-years-old) and a son (2-years-old) since then. When I'm not at work, you'll find us all together exploring a park, going for a bike ride, or playing with our big labradoodle named Indy.
If you could wake up tomorrow with one new skill, what would you choose?
I'd like to do a better job of slowing down and appreciating the moment as it's happening. It feels like we're always pushing to stay ahead, or create the newest thing, and at times that can cause you to lose sight of what's happing around you right now. Having kids really puts into perspective how quickly time moves, and how you can't stop it down no matter how hard you try.
In a single word, how would your friends describe you?
Trustworthy.
If you could switch careers tomorrow, what would you want to do, and why?
I think I'd become a homesteader/market gardener. There's something freeing about the self-reliance required for that kind of life. Working your own land, raising your own food and not worrying about the corporate world seems rewarding to me.
What's the biggest issue facing the tire industry?
In my mind, the biggest issue is the continued push towards innovation as new regulations, goals for sustainability and pressure from low-tier competitors continue to apply pressure on the tire industry from all sides.
When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Growing up, I wanted to be an architect, but after a while, I decided I'd prefer to work on dynamic things and mechanical engineering was a natural fit.
How do you unwind after a stressful day?
After a stressful day, I'll shut down the computer and go outside to play with my kids. Once they've gone to bed, I'll try to relax while watching a good football game.
What goal did you set for yourself this year? Are you on track to reach it?
This year I've set out to stretch my understanding of data analytics and tire chemical compounding. I think I've picked up some useful skills along the way, but I'm not really sure what the finish line looks like.
What do you expect to be doing 20 years from now?
My career goal is to continue to further my understanding of product strategy, while leading an amazing team of creative thinkers. On a personal level, I hope to spend time traveling and making memories with my wife and kids.
