Posted November 21, 2017

 

UXBRIDGE, U.K. – Coats, one of the world’s leading industrial thread manufacturer and a major player in the Americas textile crafts market, announced that Hongyan Echo Lu (Echo) will join the board as a non-executive director, effective December 1.

 

In addition, she will join the Remuneration Committee and the Nomination Committee.

Echo has 20 years of global HR, operations and general management experience.  She spent 1- years at Tesco plc in a variety of senior leadership roles, including Asia HR director, chief operations officer, China and property director, UK/Ireland.

 

Most recently, she was the managing director of Homebase Ltd as part of Home Retail Group plc. She started her career at Bristol-Myers Squibb, a global biopharmaceutical company, where she spent seven years in a series of HR roles, including two years as HR director, China.

 

Echo has previously been a non-executive director of Dobbies Garden Centres and also served as a Steering Committee member of the Trestle Group Foundation, a non-profit organization that supports women-led businesses in emerging economies.  

 

“I am delighted that Echo has agreed to join the Coats board,” said Mike Clasper, chairman. “Echo’s direct managerial experience of global companies operating in markets in Asia, particularly North East Asia, will bring very pertinent additional local and regional insight. She also has practical knowledge of empowering women entrepreneurs in emerging economies which will bring invaluable perspective to the board.”

  

Echo has a Bachelor of Arts in international economy and finance from Fudan University, Shanghai and a Master of Science in industrial relations and human resources from West Virginia University. She is also a native Mandarin speaker.

 

Source: Coats