Heard was formerly president of automotive Tier 1 supplier Futaba UK and has worked for more than 20 years in management and consultancy roles at companies including EV Cargo, QT Consulting, Futaba subsidiaries and Tenneco Automotive. He has a track record of leading multi-million pound businesses within complex supply chain ecosystems and a wealth of experience delivering successful business transformation programmes across multiple sectors.
Heard said: “I’m excited to be joining Industry Forum and look forward to building on the great work of outgoing CEO Dr Chris Owen and the team. Of course, the Coronavirus pandemic is testing British business at the moment and the need to call on external support to improve competitiveness is as strong as ever. I relish the challenge of helping the many world-class engineering-led industries we have in this country bounce back in the months and years ahead.”
Heard officially starts his new role on June 1st and will work closely with Dr Owen, who will remain at Industry Forum on a part time basis until August to ensure a seamless handover of leadership and transition for the company and its customers.
Based at the Birmingham Business Park, Industry Forum has more than 150 cross-sector industry specialists and is active in 30 countries. Over the past 20 years, it has delivered more than 400 competitiveness and productivity programmes and trained over 25,000 people.
