Declan Allen has been appointed managing director of global engineering, research and product testing specialist Horiba MIRA.
Allen will succeed Dr George Gillespie, who is to become executive chairman of Horiba MIRA and executive vice president of the ATS division.
As managing director, Allen will take over the day to day management of Horiba MIRA, focusing on the ongoing development of its engineering and testing services. He will prioritize further collaboration with Horiba in developing test equipment and will continue to expand the business’s international reach through the Horiba network, particularly in Japan, China, India, Europe and the USA.
Allen’s new brief will also include pushing forward Horiba MIRA’s work in electrification, connected and autonomous vehicle technology, vehicle resilience and cybersecurity.
Allen said, “The past few years have seen strong growth across the business and I’m committed to building on this success. Under George’s leadership we have accelerated our integration with Horiba and delivered significant investment in new facilities such as the Advanced Emissions Test Centre, the expansion of MIRA Technology Park, and the Advanced Battery Development Suite opening this month.
“We will continue to expand our world-class, global team in both core and emerging business areas, providing exciting career development opportunities for both existing and new team members as we grow.”
Declan Allen joined MIRA as operations director in August 2011 before taking on the increased responsibility of chief operating officer (COO) in February 2013. He is a mechanical engineer by profession, with a masters in mechanical and industrial engineering from Queens University in Belfast, Ireland, and brings 17 years of operational management experience in the automotive and motorsport sector to his role at Horiba MIRA.