Richard Cotterell is the General Manager for Large Engines at Perkins, with responsibility for the product range from 9 to 64 litres. He is responsible for all aspects of product strategy, manufacturing and supply chain strategy and the delivery of associated key performance indicators such as quality and customer satisfaction. He currently has responsibility for more than 800 people at Perkin's Stafford facility in the UK, and of course, as Managing Director for Perkins India.

Since 1997, Cotterell has undertaken a number of roles within Perkins across supply chain, purchase and manufacturing. Prior to joining Perkins he had a background in the automotive, aerospace and telecommunications industries.

His management style is based on teamwork and inclusiveness as he says: "I like to work with the team and develop a clear strategy to meet the needs of our customers, stakeholders and employees." He finds his current role in setting up a whole new facility in India to meet the needs of their customers, most rewarding.

According to Richard, the key target is to have product up and running by mid 2013 and to deliver a high performance, quality engine in conjunction with Perkin's local suppliers. He says: "We will be employing 500+ people and will have an Indian management team. We are also investing in an engine development facility on the site, housing two endurance test beds that will provide the capability for component validation and emissions compliance testing. This facility offers us opportunities rather than challenges, as India has a great skills base; a great a set of customers and a strong supply chain."