SMITHS Group plc has appointed Ralph L. Phillips president of Smiths Interconnect. Phillips, who had been acting president since May, has been appointed following a search process that included external and internal candidates.
Smiths Interconnect designs and manufactures specialized electronic and radio frequency products primarily for the global wireless telecommunications, aerospace and defence markets. It is headquartered in the US with approximately 3,100 employees in the United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, China, Costa Rica and Mexico.
Smiths Interconnect is expanding geographically and broadening its technology offering. As part of this strategy, it recently acquired Shanghai-based Allrizon and Brisbane-based Triasx Pty Ltd. that design and manufacture radio frequency filters and related products.
Philip Bowman, chief executive, Smiths Group said: “Smiths Interconnect has good opportunities for growth. I am delighted to appoint Ralph to this role and wish him every success in taking the business to the next stage of its development.”
“There are good opportunities for Smiths Interconnect to grow organically – particularly in developing markets – and scope exists to improve the portfolio and extend its geographic reach through bolt-on acquisitions, reports Ralph Philips. “We anticipate military communications to be an area of continued investment by governments and the further roll-out of wireless networks is expected with the highest growth in developing markets”.
Ralph Phillips has broad experience in the aerospace and defense markets and previously led Smiths Interconnect’s microwave subsystems technology group. He joined Smiths Interconnect when Thousand Oaks-based TECOM Industries – which designs and manufactures antennas and related systems – was acquired by Smiths in 2004. Prior to joining TECOM in November 2001, he spent the previous 19 years with Northrop Grumman, Litton Industries and Teledyne Systems in increasingly senior positions in engineering, program management, business development, and general management.
