High flyer readies for take-off
Alan Cook leaves Cobham in December after eight years in charge
Cobham,
Allan Cook will retire from Cobham in December. The aerospace and defence industry kingpin, National Skills Academy chairman, Ministerial Advisory Group member and competitive squash player talks to TM about his industry, innovation, balanced skills needs and the need to respond to markets quickly in ‘exponential times’.
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the aerospace and defence manufacturer, turned 75 years old in October. It is one of the most successful “second tier” British defence companies that sit behind the better known national champions, RollsRoyce and BAE Systems. Founded as Flight Refuelling Ltd by aviator Sir Alan Cobham in 1934, it is best known for developing air-to-air refuelling equipment but its portfolio of products today covers a truly exotic range of highly engineered products, from vehicle intercoms and surveillance technology, to search and rescue devices and oxygen regulators in space suits. Allan Cook, Cobham’s straight-talking chief executive, steps down on December 31 after eight years with the company. He will become chairman of WS Atkins, the UK’s largest engineering consultancy. Cook’s career is long and distinguished. He started as an apprentice engineer and worked his way up through several big engineering firms. Before Cobham, he worked for BAE Systems as managing director of the