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8 January 2012 | Helen Gilbert
Set-top box manufacturer Pace has appointed a new purchasing director who will start at the end of the month, SM has learned.
The firm, which axed the chief operating officer (COO) role this week as part of a reshuffle of its executive management team, would not name the new appointment or confirm how long the post had been vacant, but it is believed to have been unfilled for at least three months.
COO David McKinney left on Friday after his role was scrapped as part of a restructuring move designed to remove a layer of management.
The new buying director, who starts on 23 January, will be responsible for the procurement function and report directly to new chief executive officer Mike Pulli – who replaced Neil Gaydon in December – the company said.
The shake up follows a challenging year for Pace, which saw it experience severe supply chain disruption problems following the tsunami in Japan and floods in Thailand. The company also issued three profit warnings and saw its share price drop.
Speaking about the restructure, Pace chairman Allan Leighton said in a statement: “The new senior structure gives the CEO direct line of sight to the critical areas of the business. However, it’s important to acknowledge the significant contribution that David has made to Pace over the past six years in building its operational capabilities. We wish him all the best for the future.”
Update 1 February 2012
Pace appointed Graham Chalmers as its senior vice president of global procurement. He joined Pace from IT supplier Unisys where he was director of global category management.
Chalmers has also worked as the global lead of supply chain operations optimisation at computer firm HP.
