Cooper Tire & Rubber Co. announced a transition in executive leadership of the company’s International business segment.
Cooper Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Brad Hughes has been appointed president-International Operations, where he is responsible for leading all of Cooper’s operations outside of the Americas, including its growth plans for Asia and Europe. In the near-term, Hughes will continue to serve as CFO in addition to his new position while Cooper conducts an executive search for his successor.
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 Co. 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,” said Cooper Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President Roy Armes.
“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 Co., 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.”
