Howden Plans for the Future

Glasgow, United Kingdom, March 24, 2011 --(PR.com)-- Howden has announced that Bob Cleland, the company’s Chief Executive Officer for the last twelve years, will retire on 30th September 2011.

Bob was appointed Chief Operating Officer in 1998 and CEO in 1999 and has gone on to lead the business through a dramatic period of change and growth. In the last six years alone sales have more than doubled and profitability increased by a factor of almost five. Howden delivered record operating margins in 2010 and the business is poised for further growth. Bob will step down from the board on 1st August and will remain in the business until his retirement on 30th September 2011.

Bob will be succeeded in the role by Ian Brander, currently Howden’s Operations Director. Ian has extensive experience of Howden’s worldwide operations and in particular, its compressor businesses. A graduate of Strathclyde University, Ian has worked with Howden since 1983 in a number of roles.

Commenting on the succession announcement, Mike Foster, CEO of Howden’s parent company Charter, said: “Bob’s leadership has transformed Howden from a loss-maker into a world leader in air and gas handling. Howden now has a great platform for further progress into new markets, new products and new geographies. With Ian Brander we have a successor who brings great product knowledge and expertise and his career path has equipped him very well for the Howden CEO role.”

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