Cooper reorganises senior leadership

Cooper Tire & Rubber Company chairman, chief executive officer and president Roy Armes has announced details of a reorganisation of the company’s executive leadership centring on the appointment of a new president – International Operations. The changes take effect immediately.

First off, Cooper chief financial officer (CFO) Brad Hughes has been appointed president—International Operations. This means he is responsible for leading all of Cooper’s operations outside of the Americas, including in Asia and Europe. In the near-term, Hughes will continue to serve as CFO in addition to his new position while Cooper finds a successor for the CFO role.

As Hughes assumes leadership of the International segment, Hal Miller, who previously served as president—International Tire Division, moves into a new role as executive advisor to the chief executive officer. Miller will assist the company in the process to determine the future ownership of the Cooper Chenghsan (Shandong) Tire Company Ltd (CCT) joint venture, as well as continuing to support International segment growth plans, and helping to assure an orderly transition to Hughes’ leadership.

“Cooper’s International segment has grown rapidly, and we plan to continue to drive profitable sales, ultimately positioning our International business to deliver half of Cooper’s total global revenues,” Armes said. “We look forward to the contributions Brad will make as he assumes leadership of this significant part of our business. As CFO, Brad has been highly involved in our global business operations for the past five years, leading teams in Asia and Europe, as well as North America. Prior to Cooper, Brad had extensive international experience at Ford Motor Company, where he served in roles such as Global Product Development Controller; Finance Director for South America Operations in Sao Paulo, Brazil; Director of European Business Strategy and Implementation in Cologne, Germany; and European Manufacturing Controller, also in Cologne.

“He is well positioned to take on leadership of our International operations as Hal transitions to his new role. Hal has done a tremendous job over the past decade growing our International sales to $1.2 billion with solid profitability. He has established a firm foundation and a track record of success, and he will continue to be involved in helping to assure that we maintain our momentum in this important part of our business,” Armes concluded.

Brad Hughes, 52, joined Cooper in 2009 as vice president and chief financial officer. Formerly a 23-year employee of Ford Motor Company in Dearborn, Mich., Hughes previously worked as Global Product Development Controller for Ford in Dearborn; as Finance Director for Ford’s South America Operations in Sao Paulo, Brazil; as Director of European Business Strategy and Implementation in Cologne, Germany; as European Manufacturing Controller, also in Cologne; and in other corporate finance and treasury positions.

Prior to joining Ford, Hughes worked for Fruehauf Finance Corp., in Detroit, Mich. Hughes earned a bachelor’s degree in business from Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, and earned a master’s degree in business administration (MBA) from the University of Michigan Business School, Ann Arbor, Mich.