Caledonia Private Capital backed Cooke Optics is pleased to announce the appointment of Tim Pugh as CEO and Kees van Oostrum as Non-Executive Chairman, effective 31 October 2020. Cooke’s current Chairman, Les Zellan, will be stepping down from the Company, and CEO, Robert Howard, is retiring.
Cooke, a 126-year old British lens manufacturer, is among the oldest lens brands to have continuously served the motion picture industry. Cooke’s reputation at the forefront of lens design is founded on beautiful cinematic images, as defined by the ‘Cooke look’. Cooke’s brand, presence and ongoing investment in innovation will drive growth into established international markets, new territories, and market adjacencies, satisfying demand for high-quality content as well as cost-effective production.
Tim brings a wealth of leadership experience across premium manufacturing and distribution businesses, providing technical products to specialist markets via strong international partner networks. He has held key roles at Scania, RAC and most recently as CEO of James Briggs Ltd, a leading manufacturer of technical products, where he grew the business substantially through a focus on long-term customer relationships, market-leading quality and manufacturing excellence.
Kees van Oostrum, currently a Cooke Optics board member, is an award-winning cinematographer and held the position of President of the American Society of Cinematographers from 2016-2020 during which time the organisation broadened its activities significantly.