Matthew Thomas Richards will take over from John Lavery as the new managing director of Redditch-based manufacturer Steatite (a subsidiary of Solid State) on 1 August.

Mr Richards was most recently the senior vice-president and managing director of API Technologies.

Steatite chief executive Gary Marsh said: “After an extensive search, we are delighted to have secured the services of Matthew, who we have known and admired for a number of years, as the new managing director of Steatite.”

Steatite manufactures a wide range of portable power systems that are designed to work in extreme environments.