Pilkington UK today announced that Matt Buckley is to retire after over 10 years as MD and 30 years with the company, to be succeeded by Neil Syder, currently head of operations.
Neil Syder began at the company working in R&D in the 1980s, building extensive experience over four decades in specialist glass coatings, running production lines, and operational planning.
“It’s an exciting time to take this new post, with the glass industry set to play a transformative role in an age of decarbonisation,” he said.
“We’ve undertaken the world’s first trials in powering a glass furnace with hydrogen at our base in St Helens to help improve our carbon impact within supply chains, while simultaneously delivering the materials that will enable better energy performance in the built environment.
He continued: “Agility will be crucial as we target more collaborative growth opportunities with our customers, while seeing off current headwinds facing the wider manufacturing sector.”
He was the second Syder to hold the position of head of operations at the glass manufacturer, moving temporarily to Sweden as a child as his father established the company’s Halmstad plant.
His appointment, to take effect at the turn of the year, is the latest in a series of albeit unconnected top-level moves to take place around the industry so far this month https://www.the-glazine.com/?p=4561.
Among recent achievements, Pilkington UK earlier this year became the first glass manufacturer to trial the use of hydrogen in a glass furnace https://www.the-glazine.com/?p=3883 . Next year, it will also mark the 70th anniversary of the float glass process which was pioneered by Sir Alastair Pilkington in St Helens.
https://www.pilkington.com/en-gb/uk
