People in composites: May 2023

Composite Integration strengthens leadership team

Richard Bland, Composite Integration technical director (left) and Kelly Ellis, managing director (left). Photo Credit: Composite Integration

Composite Integration (Saltash, U.K.) announces further developments in its leadership structure: Kelly Ellis has been promoted to managing director from her previous role as operations director. Ellis has been with the company for 13 years, working her way up through multiple roles. She has been instrumental in the success of Composite Integration and has shown exceptional determination, ambition and leadership qualities throughout her tenure. In her new position, Ellis will be responsible for setting the company’s strategic direction and driving growth and innovation. She will be supported by the appointment of highly experienced production and quality manager, Matt Owen.

Richard Bland, one of the original founders of Composite Integration and its current managing director, will move to take on the role of technical director. With 30 years of experience in the industry, Bland will use his expertise to provide support to the business and the team as the company continues to expand. He and Ellis are further supported by a highly experienced senior team of directors covering engineering design, R&D and sales.

Ellis expresses her excitement about the promotion. “It has been an ambition of mine for many years,” she says. “With our team’s continued hard work and dedication, I believe that we can achieve even greater success in the future.”

According to Bland, “Kelly has been a key part of the company’s growth and ambition and I look forward to continuing to work with her and contributing to the company’s development in my new role.”

With a focus on innovative equipment, processes and new technologies, the company is positioning itself at the forefront of the composite manufacturing industry. Continued investment in people and resources will enable Composite Integration to further enhance its existing offerings and expand its capabilities. Ultimately, the new structure is expected to drive significant growth for Composite Integration and cement its position as a leader in the composite manufacturing industry.

Composite Integration reports strong growth with multiple projects in wind energy, aerospace and marine sectors. The team continues to evolve rapidly to meet these new challenges.

RAMPF personnel elected to Ontario Aerospace Council board of directors

Larry Fitzgerald, CEO of RAMPF Composite Solutions, and now a member of the Ontario Aerospace Council (OAC) board of directors. Photo Credit: RAMPF

Larry Fitzgerald, CEO of RAMPF Composite Solutions (Burlington, Ont., Canada), has been elected to the board of directors of the Ontario Aerospace Council (OAC). In this position, the aerospace engineering expert will support the organization in further promoting the industry’s profile in the global market.

Established in 1993, the OAC is a non-profit organization comprising more than 200 member companies that represent more than 70% of the Ontario aerospace industry employment base. It spans all Tiers, business activities and sizes.

The purpose of the OAC is to enhance and promote the capabilities of Ontario as a leader in the global aerospace market. It organizes events, maintains a capabilities directory for the industry, creates innovate training content and organizes delegations to various industry trade shows around the globe.

“It is an honor for me to join such a top-class committee, and I am looking forward to working together with such distinguished experts on shaping the future of the industry,” Fitzgerald says.

The OAC’s board of directors is comprised of cross-section leaders in Ontario’s of the aerospace industry, including such companies as Airbus Helicopters, Bombardier, Collins Aerospace, L3Harris, Magellan Aerospace, MHI Canada Aerospace and Safran Landing Systems.

RAMPF Composite Solutions has been a member of the OAC since 2018. The company provides engineered solutions for aerospace composite manufacturing.

AOC announces new regional head of AOC India

Rakesh Pandita, new regional head for the AOC India organization. Photo Credit: AOC

AOC (Schaffhausen, Switzerland and Colliersville, Tenn., U.S.) announces the appointment of Rakesh Pandita as new regional head for the AOC India organization. Pandita will be responsible for leading AOC’s commercial activities in India, as well as for growing the company's presence in the Indian region.

Pandita joins AOC from The Chemours India (formerly DuPont Performance Materials, Delhi, India), operating as business head for advanced performance materials. Previously, he worked as business head India/ sales manager for DSM India in vinyl ester and unsaturated polyester resins, and as senior manager sales and marketing for petrochemicals (polypropylene and polyethylene) at Reliance Industries (Mumbai, India).

Particularly through its long employment with DSM (now operating under the AOC name), Pandita brings an extensive experience in composites material systems, and on vinyl ester and unsaturated polyester resin applications.

“We are seeing continued market growth in India for composites applications, requiring quality resins, and our high reliability Vipel and Atlac epoxy vinyl ester resins,” Stefan Osterwind, managing director AOC EMEA, says. “Therefore, we are very happy with the addition of Rakesh Pandita to our team, and the broad experience he brings from working with world-class companies in this field.”

“AOC is committed to supplying our customers and the composite industry in India with performance resins, new product innovations and technical development projects,” Fons Harbers, vice president marketing and sales, AOC EMEA, adds. “This means we need to have a good combination of local manufacturing in India and additionally, have a quality team on the ground for growing our commercial relationship with Indian customers.”

Pandita is an Indian national and will be working from AOC’s office in Pune, India. He will start in his new role June 15, 2023 and will report to Stefan Osterwind and be supported by Kees den Besten, business development manager for India and the Middle East region.

Plyable announces appointment of new chief operating officer

Plyable (Oxford, U.K.) has appointed Tim Doole as chief operating officer (COO), strengthening the senior executive team within the business.

“We are delighted to welcome Tim to the Plyable family,” Martin Oughton, Plyable CEO, says. “He brings with him significant industry experience and a track record of delivering solid operational efficiency. Plyable is at a key developmental stage in its journey, and he will be a huge asset to the team during this next phase for the business and beyond.”

Doole comes to the role with broad experience across aerospace, automotive and consultancy with business of all sizes, from solo enterprises to global OEMs, including UTC Aerospace (Charlotte, N.C., U.S.), Prodrive Advanced Technology (Banbury, U.K.) and more recently, Oxford Flow (Oxford, U.K.), an innovative pressure control equipment specialist. No stranger to disruptive technology and “getting things done,” Doole is a valuable addition to the team.

“I am excited to join Plyable and bring my expertise to the team,” Doole says. “It’s an interesting and high-potential company doing impressive things, and the opportunity that Plyable represents is incredible for the markets it serves. As we drive cost-saving and time-saving initiatives for our customers, we accelerate the use of composites across the globe by breaking down the barriers that prevented a composite part ever seeing the light of day. I look forward to driving more value for our customers and ensuring that their projects with Plyable are their most successful.”