Listed manufacturer appoints chief executive
Autins Group has completed its search for its third chief executive in less than two years.
The manufacturer has appointed Gareth Kaminski-Cook from international performance materials group Low & Bonar. He will join Autins by January 13.
Autins, which supplies acoustic and thermal insulation solutions for the automotive sector, has struggled since it went public in August 2016 and its shares are trading more than 80% below their peak.
Long-standing chief executive Jim Griffin left in February 2017 when the company issued a profits warning and his replacement, Michael Jennings, resigned in March after just a year in post. Jennings will now leave Autins at the end of August, with non-executive director Ian Griffiths stepping in as interim chief executive until Kaminski-Cook’s arrival.
Kaminski-Cook, a University of Birmingham graduate with 25 years’ experience in industrial businesses, said: “This is an exciting time to join Autins. The market drivers for specialist NVH solutions offer strong growth opportunities for the business, particularly the Neptune product which is seeing growing success with OEMs across Europe.
“I have been very impressed by the recent investment in the business and am looking forward to leading the group in the next phase of its growth.”
Adam Attwood, chairman of Autins Group, added: “We are delighted to have identified an excellent candidate in Gareth and the Board is confident that his experience and capabilities will be invaluable in capitalising on the significant growth and development opportunities that the group has.”
