Executive changes at SATRA

Dr Ron Whittaker, who has been Chief Executive of the technology centre since 1991, is to retire in June.

After 38 years with SATRA, Dr Ron Whittaker, who has been Chief Executive of the technology centre since 1991, is to retire in June.

His successor will be Richard Turner, currently Deputy Chief Executive.

Austin Simmons, currently Executive Director, will become Deputy Chief Executive from July.

Dr Whittaker said he had immensely enjoyed his career at SATRA and that it had been a great privilege to lead the organisation through a period of unprecedented change.

Over the last 15 years SATRA has increasingly served a truly global membership, diversified into a successful technology centre for a number of consumer and industrial product sectors and built a new 75,000 sq ft laboratory and office complex in Kettering.

Dr Whittaker also confirmed that he and Mr Turner had worked closely together during all these major developments in the last few years, and it was therefore very pleasing that further progress to enhance SATRA's status as an admired and leading international technology centre would be assured.

Richard Turner, who will only be the sixth person to hold the position in SATRA's 88 years of operation, joined straight from school, but left to gain direct experience of adhesives and footwear manufacture.

Since rejoining SATRA in 1973, he has held a number of senior positions and is well known by members around the world.

Mr Turner said it was a great honour to have the opportunity to lead SATRA and develop it further over the next few years.

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