FINDLAY, Ohio (Jan. 30, 2015) — Cooper Tire & Rubber Co. has announced two executive leadership changes as Chris Ostrander will leave his post as president — Americas Tire Operations, effective Feb. 6, to become CEO of an automotive aftermarket parts supplier.
Cooper has named Brad Hughes to the newly created position of senior vice president and COO, responsible for Cooper's worldwide operations throughout North America, Asia, Europe and Latin America. He has been with the company for five years, beginning in 2009 as CFO. He was named president of international tire operations last July.
Cooper also promoted Phil Kortokrax to the position of vice president - North America Tire Operations, responsible for the strategic leadership and growth of all Cooper operations in the U.S. and Canada. He most recently was vice president of manufacturing for North America Tire Operations.
It's not known at this time to which auto parts supplier Mr. Ostrander is headed. He joined Cooper in January 2011 as president, North America Tire Operations, moving to the Findlay-based tire maker from Eaton Corp., where he'd been since 2004.
Cooper Chairman, CEO and President Roy Armes lauded Mr. Ostrander as an “exceptional leader who made important contributions to our business in the Americas, establishing a solid foundation and cohesive team that will serve us well into the future.”
Mr. Armes said of Mr. Hughes: “We look forward to the contributions Brad will continue to make as we bring together all of our regions under his leadership. This appointment gives Cooper an even more cohesive global approach to our business as we continue to develop, optimize and leverage our brands, products and manufacturing footprint around the world.”
Mr. Kortokrax has been with Cooper for 24 years, serving in a wide range of functional areas comprising information technology, finance, sales and marketing and operations. He was named vice president of manufacturing for North America Tire Operations in 2012. He will report to Mr. Hughes in his new position.
Mr. Kortokrax “is highly knowledgeable and has a depth of experience in our business that positions him to successfully lead his team going forward,” Mr. Armes noted. “Phil is well known and respected throughout our organization and among our external stakeholders.…"