Michael Roney

Michael James Roney was born July 13, 1954, and is an American businessman. He was educated in Roman Catholic private schools in Detroit, Michigan, and graduated with an MBA from the Stephen M. Ross School of Business, University of Michigan in 1981.

Roney began his career as an accountant from 1978 to 1980. He worked for Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company from 1981 to 2005, where he served as president of the Eastern Europe, Africa and Middle East business unit before being named president of Goodyear Dunlop Tires Europe. Prior to that, he had been president of Goodyear Mexico, vice president of the company's Asia region, and managing director of Goodyear Brazil. During his tenure leading Goodyear Dunlop Tires Europe, he oversaw strategic acquisitions including Sweden's Dackia retail chain.

Career history

• Chief Executive Officer, Bunzl plc (2005-2016) — a British multinational distribution and outsourcing company, where he served for more than 10 years before retiring in April 2016
• Non-Executive Director, Johnson Matthey plc (2007-2014) — a specialist chemicals business
• Chairman, Grafton Group plc (2017-2024) — a builders merchant and DIY retail group, stepping down on 2 May 2024
• Chairman, Next plc (2017-present)
• Non-Executive Director, Brown-Forman Corporation (2014-present) — a major US-based spirits business

What Michael Roney could bring to his roles: Roney's career demonstrates expertise in scaling large multinational distribution and outsourcing businesses across geographically diverse regions, with particular strengths in European market expansion, strategic acquisitions, and operational turnarounds. His three-decade tenure at Goodyear established deep knowledge of complex global supply chains and leadership in competitive retail and manufacturing sectors, while his 11-year stewardship of Bunzl plc—a FTSE 100 company—showcased his ability to drive shareholder value in distribution-focused enterprises. His current chairmanships at Next plc and previous tenure at Grafton Group reflect board-level confidence in his strategic acumen and governance capabilities in consumer-facing retail and building materials distribution.