Cooper-Standard realigns leadership, focused on growth

NORTHVILLE, Mich.—Cooper-Standard Automotive Inc. knows what it takes to build success in an industry facing new challenges and seemingly unending disruption. And the Northville-based maker of fluid handling and sealing systems is preparing to follow that game plan with a strategic leadership alignment.

Patrick Clark, Joanna Totsky and Chris Couch will all take on expanded roles to help Cooper-Standard continue its financial turnaround, right-size operations and drive product development and commercialization of new technologies.

"This team of talented leaders is well aligned to continue addressing the business challenges of today, while also positioning Cooper-Standard to successfully execute our accelerating value strategy," Chairman and CEO Jeffrey Edwards said in a statement. "Our team is laser focused on optimizing our business as we work to drive increasing long-term value not only for our customers, but for all our stakeholder groups."

By assuming responsibility for procurement, Clark, a 28-year company veteran, will play a key role in helping to bring together the company's aims to simultaneously improve its financial performance and its response to a dynamic automotive market. As senior vice president and managing director for global automotive, he will assume responsibility for global procurement as he works to continue to enhance synergies between the commercial and procurement functions, while continuing to lead the company's manufacturing and commercial functions.

Prior to this, Clark held leadership positions in engineering, operations, program management, finance, strategy and sales.

Totsky, meanwhile, will expand her responsibilities as senior vice president and chief transformation officer and lead the execution of Cooper-Standard's optimization to right-size the business. These roles are in addition to her role as chief legal officer and secretary.

Totsky—who has 25 years of experience executing transformational initiatives in the automotive and financial services—will continue to lead legal and compliance functions, while also taking on responsibility for the implementation of business transformation activities for long-term value creation.

Advancing the company's innovation and technology will be the focus for Couch, a senior vice president and chief technology officer, with more than two decades of global manufacturing, P&L, and research and development experience. Couch will fully focus on developing and commercializing advancements in materials science, product technology and manufacturing processes.

The electric vehicle market will provide valuable opportunities for growth in the years ahead, and Couch is tasked with continuing to expand Cooper-Standard's product portfolio for EVs. Additionally, he will work to maintain Cooper-Standard's technical support, which the company believes sets it apart in the industry.

Couch also will oversee expanded application of Cooper-Standard technologies to industrial products, footwear and artificial intelligence.