FINDLAY, Ohio—Cooper Tire & Rubber Co. has selected Bradley Hughes, 54, chief operating officer for the past 14 months, to succeed Roy Armes, 63, as president and CEO when Mr. Armes retires Aug. 31.
In addition, Cooper said Thomas Capo, the lead independent board member, will become non-executive chairman of the board, also effective once Mr. Armes retires.
Mr. Armes, who joined Cooper in 2007 as CEO and president and was appointed chairman in 2008, is credited with spearheading a “positive transformation of Cooper's business model, creating a stronger, more resilient and sustainable company,” Mr. Capo said, adding: “We expect a seamless transition at the end of August.”
Mr. Hughes joined Cooper in November 2009 as vice president and chief financial officer (CFO). In July 2014, he was named senior vice president and president of International Operations, with responsibility for leading all of Cooper's operations outside of the Americas.
He also continued to serve as CFO in addition to his international role until his successor in the CFO role, Ginger Jones, was appointed in December 2014. He was named in January 2015 to his current position, which includes responsibility for Cooper's worldwide operations throughout North America, Asia, Europe and Latin America.
Mr. Hughes spent 23 years with Ford Motor Co. in various posts in Dearborn, Mich., Sao Paulo, Brazil, and in Cologne, Germany. Prior to joining Ford, he worked for Fruehauf Finance Corp.
Before joining Cooper, Mr. Armes spent more than three decades at Whirlpool Corp. in leadership positions throughout the business and in multiple geographies.
Mr. Capo, a member of Cooper's board since 2007, has been lead independent director since 2014.
From 2003 to 2010 he was chairman of Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group Inc., a vehicle rental company; senior vice president and treasurer of DaimlerChrysler Corp. from 1998 to 2000; and for seven years prior was treasurer of Chrysler.