Rapra Technology Names New Vice President, Managing Director

(Akron/Tire Review) Rapra Technology, a wholly owned European subsidiary of the Smithers Group, an independent testing, consulting and research organization, has announced the appointment of Hugh D. Pace as vice president and managing director.

Pace succeeds Andrew Ward, who has left the company to pursue other interests. Pace spent the past 30 years in senior executive positions at the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. He served as president of Goodyear’s Asia Pacific, Mexico and Argentina regions.
Pace holds a master’s degree from Thunderbird, the American Graduate School of International Management, and a bachelor’s degree in economics from Ohio Wesleyan University.

“It is Hugh’s impressive track-record in the international business arena which left us in no doubt that he is the right person to undertake this lead role in integrating Rapra Technology into the Smithers Group, which has operations in the US and Switzerland,” said Michael Hochschwender Smithers CEO and president.

“I am thrilled to be part of the Smithers Rapra team and to have this unique opportunity to lead the change process at this exciting time for the organization,” Pace commented. “The combination of know-how within The Smithers Group provides almost limitless opportunity to develop an enhanced range of technical services to our global customer base