Barbara Ekwall Gould
Barb Ekwall Gould graduated from The University of Iowa in 1972 with a B.S. degree in Chemical Engineering. After 5 years in non-tire product development at The Firestone Tire & Rubber Company in Akron, OH, she earned her MBA in 1976 from Kent State University, Kent, OH. She subsequently worked in various strategic, financial and product planning positions with Firestone. In 1988, Barb joined M.A. Hanna, a specialty chemical company, where she worked on the acquisition and integration of plastic and rubber compounding companies. In 1992, she became director, corporate communications & investor relations. In 1998, Gould moved to St. Louis to become vice president, investor relations at Mallinckrodt, Inc., a medical products manufacturer. In 2000, Barb returned to Ohio to The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company to work on divesting non-tire businesses, forming joint ventures in tire-related areas and overseeing the technical licenses of the company. From 2002 to 2006, she was director of investor relations at Goodyear. Upon relocating to the Nashville area, Barb joined CBRL Group, Inc. (Cracker Barrel Old Country Stores®) in investor relations.