A run down of the latest moves throughout the manufacturing world during the month of December.
Davif Hass, AkzoNobel
Paint manufacturer AkzoNobel has appointed David Hass to the position of head of UK communications, reporting to John McLaren, Director of Corporate Communications.
David joins AkzoNobel after a decade in senior communications roles in government, politics and the BBC.
He was special adviser to the former Justice Secretary for England and Wales, Ken Clarke and press secretary to George Osborne from 2007-2009, when the now Chancellor of the Exchequer was the chief Opposition spokesman on the economy.
From 2012 to 2013, David was director of communications for Hacked Off, the cross-party campaign leading calls for the adoption of Lord Justice Leveson’s recommendations for changes to the way the press handles complaints from the public.
Prior to his career in the political sphere, David was a broadcast journalist and enjoyed a varied career at the BBC.
On taking up his post at AkzoNobel David said: “I feel immensely privileged to be joining a company with as rich a heritage and as bright a future as AkzoNobel. Its record of combining scientific ingenuity with world class business acumen stretches back to the very dawn of manufacturing industry.”
David is keen to promote awareness of AkzoNobel’s longstanding relationship with British industry. “From the proud histories of ICI and Courtaulds to this year’s £100m investment in high tech manufacturing in North East England, the company can boast a long and enduring commitment to investing in UK expertise in science and innovation,” he said.
Melvin Greenfield, MWA Technology
MWA Technology has appointed Melvin Greenfield to help it meet growth targets of doubling sales in 2015 and fulfill the requirements of distributors, contractors, OEMs and energy monitoring professionals.
Mr Greenfield possesses over 30 years’ experience in the electricity industry, working with high profile companies such as Secure Meters, ABB and Schneider – the latter involved selling a range of meters including simple panel meters, moving coil, single line digital dedicated meters, PV and fiscal metering.
Martin Wardell, managing director at MWA, said: “Melvin will be focused on working with clients that are looking to develop their electric billing, sub-metering and panel meters. There is a lot of technical detail in these areas and he has the expertise to really help firms cut through the maze of data and find the right solutions that will ensure they reduce costs.”
Simon Ruffell, JVM Castings
Simon Ruffle has been appointed Group Design Director at JVM Castings, in a strategic move to improve the company’s service offering by focusing on reducing the lead time to turn customer concepts into finished products.
Mr Ruffle brings to the job a wealth of experience, having risen through the ranks of the company, which he joined in 1996 as a Graduate Engineer. He has worked in almost every department and has a rich understanding of the workings of JVM as a business.
Having worked across the company’s two sites in Tamworth and Worcester, Simon’s remit will focus heavily on the design for manufacture of the casting and of the tooling to smooth the transition between the design phase, prototyping through to delivery of the customer’s product.
Robert Murcott, joint managing director at JVM Castings, said: “Simon is a welcome addition to the Board, and his views will help us further improve our customer service. We are now looking to recruit new graduate engineers to follow in his footsteps and be part of the future of JVM.”
Matt Pullen, AkzoNobel
AkzoNobel appointed Matt Pullen as its new marketing & sales unit director, decorative paints UK & Ireland.
Mr Pullen will take up this new position with effect from January 1 next year, and will work alongside his predecessor, Guy Williams, to ensure a smooth handover for the first few months of the year.
After joining AkzoNobel in October 2010 as marketing director for decorative paints UK & Ireland, with the role subsequently expanding to encompass the Northern Europe Region (Nordics, Baltics and Ukraine) in 2011.
He said of the appointment: “I know it comes with a huge responsibility to continue the great success we have had over many years in the UK and Ireland and to contribute to the future success of AkzoNobel Decorative paints globally,” he said.
Zoe Brimelow, Duo UK
Manchester-based polythene packaging manufacturer and supplier Duo UK has appointed Zoe Brimelow to its board in the newly created role of brand director. The move comes as the company enters its fifth year since its management buyout, during which time turnover has increased by 77% to £25m.
After joining Duo in 2009 from marketing firm The Individual Agency, Ms Brimelow focused on the company’s shift in strategic direction which would see it form its own relationships with customers, rather than rely on intermediaries.
Establishing a marketing function and to create a strong brand ultimately the success of this has paved the way for Duo to deal directly with high profile retailers such as ASOS, John Lewis and Tesco.
Duo UK’s managing director, David Brimelow, said of the appointment: “Zoe’s one of the family so while I was considering the MBO, we had many discussions about the company’s future. Using her marketing background, she convinced me of the importance of developing a brand to achieve the levels of growth I wanted.”
Mario Barbero, ALLTUB
Mario Barbero has been appointed CEO of ALLTUB Group, the global manufacturer of collapsible aluminium tubes for the packaging of pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, foodstuffs and industrial products.
He takes the reins of ALLTUB after years of working both within the organization and its client base. Having recently reshuffled its management team, ALLTUB has placed a renewed emphasis on innovation, specialised manufacturing plants and a globalized sales approach.
Mr Barbero said of his appointment: “I am delighted to lead ALLTUB, a company which I know extremely well having fulfilled front-line commercial and operational responsibilities since 2005. We now strive to confirm our position as the worldwide leader in collapsible aluminium tubes, with our production plants in France, Italy, the Czech Republic and Mexico, and our global sales network.”
Rosi Heiland, Coats
Coats, the global industrial thread and consumer textile crafts business, has appointed Rosi Heiland as its new Global Manufacturing Director. She will be responsible for defining and implementing manufacturing strategy across Coats, which has more than 70 production sites across six continents.
The role also includes defining best practice, developing global standards, driving performance improvement and ensuring sustainability in manufacturing capabilities. Rosi joins Coats from Henkel AG & Co where she has been since 1997, most recently in the role of VP Production.
Chris Butcher, chief supply chain officer at Coats, said: “Rosi has a first rate track record which will prove invaluable as Coats continues to drive and deliver standards of manufacturing excellence.”
