D. William Pumphrey
With more than 36 years of automotive experience, D. William (Bill) Pumphrey serves as executive vice president and president, Global Automotive. In this role, he is responsible for aligning the needs of customers, and providing consistent performance and the latest innovations to assist customers in meeting the demands of the rapidly changing mobility landscape. He is also responsible for corporate strategy and the Company’s ROIC (return on invested capital) improvement initiative, where he works to refine the strategy to more closely represent the Company’s culture and provide a path for continued growth by driving value through the Company’s culture, innovation and results.
Pumphrey is based at the Company's world headquarters in Northville, Mich. and reports to Cooper Standard Chairman and CEO Jeffrey Edwards.
Previously, Pumphrey served as senior vice president and president, North America. In this role, he focused on expanding and strengthening customer relationships to increase new business opportunities for the Company's North American operations, as well as overseeing profit and loss for the region.
Prior to joining the Company in 2011, Pumphrey served as president, Americas for Tower International in Livonia, Mich., where he successfully led the operations through the 2009 automotive industry downturn. From 2005 to 2008, he served as the president of Tower’s North America operations, where he was responsible for the development and execution of the division's restructuring plan.
From 1999 to 2004, Pumphrey held various positions at Lear Corp. in Southfield, Mich. Most recently, he served as president of the company's Asia Pacific operations. Prior to this, he led numerous divisions within the company, including the DaimlerChrysler, Ford Europe and Electronics and Electrical divisions. Pumphrey joined Lear in 1999.
From 1991 to 1999, Pumphrey held positions of increasing responsibility at Dearborn, Mich.-based UT Automotive (acquired by Lear in 1999), including vice president of product development and vice president of UTA's Chrysler business. Prior to that, he worked for PRS Consulting International Ltd. in London, England and started his career at General Motors Corp. in 1984.
Pumphrey earned a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio.
Pumphrey sits on the board of directors of Gilda's Club of Metro Detroit and serves on the Greenhills School Board of Trustees in Ann Arbor, Mich.