Charles Waterhouse "Chip" Goodyear IV is an American businessman and the former CEO of BHP Billiton. He is a member of the Goodyear family that had extensive business interests in lumber and railways, as well as significant philanthropic endeavors.
After graduation in 1983, Goodyear began his career as an investment banker at a Wall Street brokerage, Kidder Peabody, advising companies on mergers, acquisitions and financing. He left Kidder Peabody in 1989 as Vice President and joined Freeport-McMoRan, one of the world's largest producers of copper and gold, as Vice President - Corporate Finance. He was promoted to Executive Vice President and chief financial officer in 1995, ultimately leaving the firm in 1997 to serve as president of "Goodyear Capital Corporation" until 1999. In 1999, Goodyear joined BHP Billiton, the world's largest diversified resources company, as CEO. He served in that role until 2001, when he became Chief Development Officer, a post he held until 2003. In 2003, it was announced that Goodyear would succeed Brian Gilbertson as the chief executive officer of BHP. Goodyear retired from BHP on September 30, 2007, and from the BHP Group on January 1, 2008, and was succeeded by Marius Kloppers. Goodyear was considered by Businessweek to have been responsible for BHP Billiton's turn-around during the 2000s since, under his leadership, sales increased by 47% and profits by 78%, placing him on top of their "Europe BW50 Leaders" list. Others, including consulting firmDeloitte, attributed BHP's success to rising global commodity prices. On February 6, 2009, Temasek Holdings, which had a portfolio worth 185 billion Singapore dollars at the time, announced his appointment as a board member and CEO-designate, to commence on March 1, 2009, succeeding Ho Ching from October 1, 2009. He was identified as a possible candidate for the top office in Temasek in 2007, when the Temasek Board began reviewing internal and external CEO candidates since early 2005. Goodyear would have been the first foreign executive to run the Singaporean sovereign fund company, however, on July 21, 2009, the Temasek Board and Goodyear announced that they had mutually agreed that he would not be taking over as CEO, citing differences in opinions on strategy. Instead, Ho Ching continued in the position, while Goodyear stepped down on August 15, 2009. As of September 2015, Goodyear is again the president of "Goodyear Capital Corporation" and "Goodyear Investment Company".
Personal life
On July 11, 1992, 34-year-old Goodyear married 28-year-old Elizabeth Morris Dabezies, the daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Oliver H. Dabezies Jr. of New Orleans. Dr. Dabezies was an ophthalmologist in New Orleans and a clinical professor of ophthalmology at Tulane University. The Rev. Thomas Condon performed the Roman Catholic ceremony at the chapel of the Academy of the Sacred Heart in New Orleans, Louisiana. Elizabeth Dabezies graduated from the University of Alabama and worked as a leasing manager with the Edward J. DeBartolo Corporation, a real-estate firm in New Orleans. Together, they have two children:
Goodyear served as a member of the Yale University Tomorrow Campaign Committee. He currently serves on the President's Council on International Activities and as Chairman of the Jackson Institute Council, and he was named Successor Trustee of the Yale Corporation in 2011. Goodyear is also a director of several private companies and is a member of the Prince's Charities Council in the United Kingdom.
