TROY — Altair today announced that Jan Kowal, chairman of Brose North America Inc., has joined the Altair board of directors. He succeeds Howard Morof, who recently moved from the board to become Altair’s chief financial officer.
An expert in market development, Kowal served as president of Brose North America for 14 years prior to becoming chairman in 2012. He grew the company to a $1.3 billion operation, with six manufacturing sites and 4,000 employees in North America.
“Jan adds his thorough and welcome understanding of international business and culture to our board,” said Jim Scapa, Altair’s chairman and chief executive officer. “He has managed the development of markets in Sweden, the United Kingdom, Japan, France, and Germany and has spent much of his career in America. We are thrilled that Jan has agreed to serve on the Altair board of directors and look forward to benefiting from his energy, curiosity, experience, good humor, and insights.”
Kowal has been a board member for the Original Equipment Suppliers Association for the past seven years and active on its executive committee for four years. He served as OESA chairman in 2012.
“Altair is achieving some amazing advancements in technology for product design, engineering, and high-performance computing,” Kowal said. “I am honored by the opportunity to join Altair’s board, and I am eager to support the innovations that Altair is bringing to industry, science, and technology around the world.”
Kowal earned a Master of Science degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Technology in Goteberg, Sweden. He is a resident of Naples, Fla.
