People: De La Rue names Bryan Gray as new COO

De La Rue has appointed Bryan Gray as its new chief operating officer, replacing Rupert Middleton who is standing down as executive director of the company's board next month.

Gray joins the UK anti-counterfeit and brand protection specialist from Johnson Controls International (JCI), where he was group vice president for its $5.5bn European business, responsible for 39 plants across Russia, EMEA and South Africa.

He will report directly to De La Rue's chief executive Martin Sutherland and will take charge of the operations of all De La Rue's manufacturing facilities, with responsibility for "driving efficiency across the group," according to a statement from the company. He will take up the role on June 19.

Sutherland said of Gray: "With strong international experience in manufacturing and developing global supply chains, he will strengthen and broaden the strategic and operational capabilities of the business and be a valuable addition to the leadership team."

De La Rue recently grew its authentication and traceability unit with the $25m acquisition of DuPont Authentication.